


Warrior Cats; Drabbles, Snippets and One-shots

by Lady_Fenikkusu



Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: F/F, F/M, Gen, M/M, Multi, OC Warrior cats - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-31
Updated: 2017-04-04
Packaged: 2018-09-21 04:04:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 15
Words: 32,361
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9530744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Fenikkusu/pseuds/Lady_Fenikkusu
Summary: A Gathering as related and unrelated works all based in the Warrior Cats World. some songs, some snips of stories I may never or may one day finish. some are related to comics I have on DA and Tumbler under the same titles. I will link those images in the notes of those chapters.Warriors belong to Erin Hunter.Songs will be credited in their respective chapters.





	1. 1# Snip Squirrelflight’s Grief.

1# Snip Squirrelflight’s Grief.

She’d been out again.

She hadn’t bothered to hide it, but Lionblaze knew it wasn’t the first time.

She left every night, when she thought everyone was asleep and barely made it back in time before the dawn patrols left, tucking herself into the darkest corners of the camp, far away from Brambleclaw.

He thought she was doing it to try and get attention from Brambleclaw, but now realized she didn’t care who saw her leave or return, he had heard Firestar trying to talk to her only to be repeatedly told it didn’t matter. 

He watched her that day, watched her slip into the motions of training her new apprentice, watched her catch pray and drag it to the elders before going on a patrol, come back, talk with her sister and then go out again before she laid down for the night.

Normal, but now he watched her he could see the dragging paws and tail, the drooping whiskers and ears, her once beautiful fur unkept and starting to become mattered and tangles in knots, he’d seen her shy away from her sister and even her mother when they tried to share tongues with her…

She didn’t eat, he noticed she looked thinner than before and her legs tremble now and then as if struggling to hold her weight as she walked around.

She’d stopped going near kits all together and refused to speak to anyone unless they spoke to her first. She refused to go near him or Jayfeather, even when Firestar had openly ordered her to go to Jayfeather for a cut to her flank she’d shook her head and said it would heal by itself before leaving the camp all together before Jayfeather could respond. Leafpool had dragged her back into camp a few days later, the cut now badly infected and oozing with blood and for half a moon, she’d been confined to the Medicine Cat Den for treatment and healing.

He’d heard Jayfeather telling Firestar that she’d moved to the very back of his den, curled up and slept, turning away from him and Brightheart when they tried to speak to her. 

Lionblaze laid down in his nest and waited, watching the camp grow darker and darker until at last the stars crept out and the moon climbed into the sky. Sure enough, just as the guard was changing, she moved and slipped out of the camp tail dragging as always as she left.

He followed silently, she didn’t even attempt to hide her trail as she walked seemingly without destination, further and further away from their camp, past the abandoned twoleg nest, across the thunderpath…

He stopped when he realized she had come upon a river and watched as she at last came to a halt, practically collapsing at the side of the water, curling herself up so tightly he only now realized just how much weight she had lost and how cold she must be now that leaf bear was only sunrises away.

He watched silently as she just laid there, shaking violently as the cold wind lashed her fur, hearing the laboured breaths as she struggled to do something until he saw it, the painful conventions of her stomach and heard the unmistakable sound of a cat throwing up.

Then a smell hit his nose like he’d just jumped face first into a tree.

Blood.

She was bleeding.

He was about to jump out a go to her when a voice spoke out and made his stop.

“Squirrelflight?” meowed Sandstorm slowly pushed her way out of the grass and padded to her daughter, Firestar and Leafpool close behind her.

“Leave me alone.” Came the weak meowl.

“You can’t keep doing this.” Sandstorm huffed lying beside her daughter, shielding her from the cold wind while Firestar tried to clean her fur.

“No one would care if I didn’t come back…”

“Do not be mouse-brained!” Leafpool hissed.

“It’s the truth.” The ginger shecat huffed, a glazed look to her eyes. “Leafpool has lost her place as the Medicine cat because she chose to follow her heart, because she chose to help Starclan… but they can’t forgive me…”

“They will, in time, what you did was for your sister and sooner or later Brambleclaw will see that…” Firestar tried to say.

She shook her head. “Brambleclaw hates me… and he has every right too. I lied to him, I told him that he was a father when I knew he wasn’t...” She huffed and turned her gaze to the stars. “Starclan is waiting for me.”

“What do you mean?” Firestar asked. “Tell me what you’re talking about!”

“I lost my mate for doing the right thing… but I never told him… I never told anyone… I swore Leafpool to secrecy.” The ginger shecat said and Lionblaze realized she wasn’t even aware the cats with her were really there. “No one needs to know about them…. He’d never believe me, not now, he won’t even look at me… not that it matters… soon I’ll be with them… and it will all go away…”

“Squirrelflight what are you talking about?” Sandstorm asked.

“I was with kit.” The ginger shecat breathed, shaking all the more now as fresh tears spilled down her face. “I was going to have his kits and we would be a real family… but I failed. I couldn’t even bring them into the world… they were cold and still when they were born… Leafpool tried to save them… I was too weak…” she sobbed, “Why should he love me? I can’t even give him a litter… Starclan knows I’d die for him…. But now… now he hates me, and he’ll never know the truth…”

“Oh Squirrelflight…” Sandstorm purred, nuzzling her daughter softly as she sobbed, her thin form shaking violently even as her mother and father lay beside her.

“I should be dead…” Squirrelflight sobbed, “I was the one who lied! I was the one who kept it hidden! They should be here! Not me!”

“If you had died, then Hollyleaf, Jayfeather and Lionblaze wouldn’t have had a mother to raise them.” Sandstorm reminded.

Squirrelflight shook her head. “They’d have had Daisy, Ferncloud, Brightheart and Sandstorm. They didn’t need me! Starclan only chose me because I was Leafpool’s Sister.”

“You still are!” Leafpool yowled. “You are my sister! You will always be my sister! You can’t just leave me!”

The ginger shecat huffed. “I’ll die soon, I’ll be in Starclan and then no one can be hurt ever again.”

“Squirrelflight…”

“Leave me alone. I don’t deserve to have anyone with me when I die… I have nothing…”

“We won’t leave you.” Sandstorm stated and wrapped her tail over her daughter’s shoulders as Firestar lightly pressed his nose to his daughter forehead. “You lied, but you did it to protect your sister and stop your kits growing up with the same prejudice from the clans that other half clanners have faced. No cat should blame you for that.”

Lionblaze stood frozen to the spot as he listened to them, watching with glazed eyes as the cat he believed had been his mother, this once strong and beautiful shecat, lay a broken and sobbing wreck on the cold grass, wailing like a kit as she was groomed by her parents and sister, babbling about the lost kits she had been expecting. 

Starclan had known that he and his siblings would be born, they had told Squirrelflight to raise them as her own, but they hadn’t been there to answer for their choices when Hollyleaf needed help…

Squirrelflight had loved them like her own, she’d cared for them like her own not because they were her sister’s kits but also because she had just lost her own kits, she’d shied away from Brambleclaw until the three of them were apprenticed. 

Then Hollyleaf had revealed the truth.

The days that had followed he had seen her, curled up with her sister, hiding the former Medicine cat from view with her own pelt as the clan glared and whispered about them both, she had been strong even then, protecting Leafpool from the harmful words of the clan while enduring it all herself.

And now Leafpool was apparently happy in her new role as a warrior, Squirrelflight felt she had nothing else to live for… He looked at her as she began to heave again, more blood spilling from her lips as she lay in the cold, trying to move away from her family as the stars shone brightly above, twinkling softly.

“Why?”

“Because she loves Brambleclaw.” 

Lionblaze turned, finding a familiar golden pelted she cat behind him, and hiding behind her, peeking at him with fearful eyes were two tiny kits, a amber eyed ginger shecat with black stripes over her back and tail like his own, and a tom with green eyes and fiery red fur, a single black stripe down his back.

“Who are you?” he asked.

“Goldenflower. Mother of Tawnypelt and Brambleclaw.” The shecat stated before turning her attention to the gathered family ahead of them. “She loves you and your brother and sister even now, despite the awful things you have said and the way you treated her. But since my son has decided he no longer loves her for the deed she has done for starclan, she has given up.” The old Queen stated standing and padding past him, the two kittens racing after her on starry paws.

“Goldenflower?” Squirrelflight asked weakly as Sandstorm crouched beside her, searching the area for the cat Squirrelflight spoke to. “My kits… Have you come to take me to Starclan?” she added as her eyes began to close and her body grew still. “I’m ready to go with you…”

“NO! Please! Please stay with me!” Leafpool pleaded, nudging her sister to try and wake her again. “Please! Don’t leave me! Sister!”

“Leafpool.” Firestar called softly and shook his head silently as his daughter broke down into tears, leaning against her mother as Squirrelflight’s body grew cold and still until a final shaky breath left her lips.

“Take care of my kit, Goldenflower… please.” Sandstorm pleaded softly. “Make sure she’s safe for me…” she added as tears rolled down her face.

Lionblaze watched as a Squirrelflight’s starry pelt slowly stood up, her once dull eyes shining brightly as she crouched and nuzzled the two kit who bounced at her paws.

“We missed you mother!”  
“We’ve been good for Goldenflower!”  
“We’ll be with you forever now!”  
“We’ll wait for father together!”

“My Kits! My darlings, my dear sweet little ones,” Squirrelflight purred and swiped her tongue over their tiny heads and ears. “My brave little ones.”

Goldenflower smiled as she watched the mother and kits’ reunion, a soft purr filling the air as she rested her tail over Squirrelflight’s shoulders. “Come. The stars await.”

 

Jayfeather sat upright in his nest, sightless eyes wide with shock and fear as he watched the fading image of Squirrelflight following Goldenflower up into the sky her kits at her heels, he felt something slip down his cheeks and realized he was crying.

He’d never known about the kits his adopted mother had lost. But now he knew of them he realized that it did explain why Squirrelflight hadn’t had a second litter even when they had all become warriors… She’d lost her first litter and become fearful of the same thing happening if she tried again…

She had loved him and his siblings all their lives, but now they knew the truth they had aid hurtful and terrible things to her and to Leafpool, though now he thought about it, while it had been said in anger, he couldn’t say Squirrelflight hadn’t been fair and kind to them. And now, despite all she had done to insure their safety and growth, they had pushed her aside, just as it seemed Starclan had shoved her and Leafpool aside now they had found the Three cats they needed.

Jayfeather shuddered and looked towards where he knew Brambleclaw would be sleeping, knowing that when Firestar returned, the word would come about Squirrelflight.

How would Brambleclaw respond to this?


	2. 2# Snip Kits of Leaf Bare.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> OC kits of Windclan and how they came to be in that clan by the lake.

2# Snip Kits of Leaf Bare.

Crowfeather laid perfectly still as Kestrelflight applied cobwebs to his flank, the cut wasn’t terribly deep, but it could become infected and without proper care he knew it would be nasty.

He was also keeping still so that he didn’t wake Patchkit from the nap she was taking in the nest next to his.

Sockskit and Spotskit were practicing their pouncing while their sister was in the Medicine cat’s den, she’d stepped on a large thorn and while Kestrelflight had removed the thorn, he had asked her to stay in the den until the swelling on her paw had gone down and she could put most of her weight back on it. 

Every now and then she would try to stand up and walk, but the pain would become too much and she would return to the small nest to rest, which was what she was doing now, her nose covered by her tail as she slept.

“Is it healing?” Crowfeather meowed quietly as Kestrelflight finished tending his cut.

“It is and you’ll be good as new in no time, just keep resting and try not to over stretch yourself,” the Medicine cat instructed softly while tidying his den quietly as Patchkit wiggled in her nest and attempted to swipe something with her paw only she could see in her dreams before meowling something about fat rabbits before she settled on her side, her ears twitching softly as she went quiet again.

Kestrelflight purred. “Adorable.” He said and Crowfeather couldn’t help but think back on the way Onestar and he had brought the three kits to Camp that cold leaf bare day.

 

Onestar shivered lightly against the cold, glad of the thicker fur he’d grown now that leaf bear was upon them, it was early morning over Windclan territory and while he wasn’t part of the dawn patrol, he had chosen to take a walk around their territory. Feeling the need to move in his paws after a storm that had lasted unusually longer than any he had known before. 

The gathering the night before had been cold, but thankfully Jayfeather and Mothwing had agreed to share much needed herbs with Littlecloud and Kestrelflight to ease the coughing of cats in their clan, much to the relief of a few young Apprentices who had been worried for their clan Elders and Queens.

Many cats in all the clans were sick, kits huddling close to their mothers for added warmth even while being covered with warm moss and soft feathers, Elders were huddled deep in their nests, close to each other for warmth as they waited for the cold to pass.

He paused and smiled as he watched a patrol make its way around the boarders, the Apprentices having to jump to not only see where they were going but also make sure they weren’t getting too far from their Mentors.

“Onestar.”

He turned at his name about to answer the voice when he realized there was no one there.

“Onestar.”

He turned again and this time caught the smallest glimpse of a form stood a few tails from him, familiar black and white fur outlined with stars and smiling yellow eyes that had found new life.

“Tallstar?” he breathed in confusion. Why had Tallstar come to visit him? Had something happened?

“Follow me.” Tallstar meowed with a flick of his tail and without question, Onestar padded after his late leader, following the ghostly pawsteps until a familiar scent filled his nose. 

The scent of newborn kits and milk…

The smell of a newborn litter, but there was something else in the air, and the closer Onestar followed Tallstar, the more he realized he knew what that small was.

Fox.

“Tallstar?”

“Crowfeather saved them, but they need a home.” Tallstar huffed sadly as he lead Onestar into a small clearing, the scent of blood and death clinging to the air as the soft meowling of kits filled the air.

“Mama? Mama!”  
“Wake up! Wake up Mama!”  
“M-m-m-m-mam-m-m-m-m-ma!”

“Come away little ones, there is nothing we can do for her now.” Crowfeather’s voice tried to sooth.

Onestar felt his chest tightened at the frighten pleas from the kits and quietly he crept forwards and peeked into a clearing seeing Crowfeather crouched by a shallow den beneath a worn old tree, his head bowed respectfully towards the large bloody body of a she-cat, her white and black body limp and cold as her three kits, a she cat and two toms wiggled around her trying to wake her from her ‘sleep’ with tears in their young eyes.

“Why won’t she wake up?”

“She’s gone to starclan little ones,” Crowfeather tried to explain only to stop as Onestar pushed his way out of the snow. “Onestar-”

“What happened?” he asked and instantly the three kits huddled together near their mother’s belly, one tom slightly larger than his sister and brother stood in front, tiny claws and teeth out as he tried to look even bigger.

“Go away!” 

“We can’t leave you here,” Onestar meowed softly as he crouched so he was on a better level with the kits, “Please, don’t be frightened I will not hurt you.” He assured softly. “Tell me what happened.” 

“W-w-w-we were playing in t-t-t-t-the snow,” the little she cat meowled though chattering teeth, “We thought it-t-t-t-t was fun, and Mama said it was-s-s-s-s-s ok to play in-n-n-n-n the snow, but then the fox came. It tried t-t-t-t-to take us away. But Mama wouldn’t let it, she his-s-s-s-sed at it and clawed it-t-t-t but it hurt her.”

“Then he came, and he made the fox go away. But Mama won’t wake up.” The second tom said as he nudged his sister gently, trying to keep her warm.

Crowfeather ducked his head. “I heard the shecat cursing the fox and came running… I wasn’t fast enough to save her.” He admitted.

Onestar thought carefully over the whole situation, watching the kits try to wake their mother until they realized they efforts were in vain and they huddled together for some warmth.

“It is not safe for you to stay here.” he said at last and sat up.

“But-t-t-t mam-m-m-m-ma… mama won’t-t-t-t-t wak-k-k-k-ke up…” The shecat cried. “Why won’t-t-t-t she wak-k-k-k-ke up?”

“She’s gone to Starclan now little ones.” Onestar meowed and carefully the three kits moved away from their mother’s body.

The tom who’d stood in front was the largest, with a black coat and had a white sock over his back paws, he had bright greening eyes and pink nose. The second tom was white with black patches over his back, legs and face with pale blue eyes and a black nose. The shecat was black with a white underbelly and chin with a white patch over her left eye and a pink nose, Onestar noticed that her eyes were different colours, the right eye was starting to change to green while the other was pale blue.

“What are your names?” he meowed softly as they three moved closer to him and Crowfeather for warmth as he beckoned them with his tail.

“Mama called me Socks.” The first tom meowled and Crowfeather gently placed the tom on one paw and rubbed his body with the other, helping him warm up as Onestar laid the other two kits gently over the black furred tom’s back and began to rub them as well.

“I’m Spots.” The second tom shivered as he snuggled close to his sister, of the three she was the coldest. “Our sister is Patch.” He added as the shecat huddled close to him for warmth.

“Wh-what’s-s-s gonna happen t-t-t-to us?” She meowled looking at him, the scent of fear thick on her fur as Onestar bent his head and gently dragged his tongue over their freezing foreheads.

“We will take you to our clan,” he purred softly. “You will be safe there.” He said, these kits were no more than maybe a moon old and would need a mother’s milk and love if they would survive.

“But what about Mama?” Socks asked.

“I’m sure she will watch over you from Starclan little one.” Onestar assured and nuzzling Patch to try and help her warm up, she was shaking the most and looked the thinnest of the three kits.

He glanced back at the shecat’s body and saw Tallstar sat beside her, watching him with a proud smile on his muzzle before he silently stood and padded away.

“You see him?” Crowfeather meowed and Onestar nodded, gently picking Socks and Spots up while Crowfeather picked up Patch.

They ran as fast as their paws would carry them, practically flying over the snow covered ground, not stopping even as they reach the camp. “Move!” Hissed Crowfeather as Nightcloud tried to meet him on the way in.

“Out of the way!” Onestar added as he jumped the shecat with ease and at last came to a stop in front of Kestrelflight who gave the kits one glance and all but shoved the Clan Leader and Warrior into his den.

 

Crowfeather chuckled at the memory of that night, he and Onestar had laid in the den with the three kits all night, neither of them sleeping as the three huddled together in the warmth between them, both toms preying to Starclan the three kits would survive. 

They had and now, with the blessing of starclan, the three would be raised as Windclanners.


	3. 3# Snip Fog and Small.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> OCs of Shadowclan by the lake.

3# Snip Fog and Small. 

Blackstar blinked. And then blinked again. He shook his head and rubbed his eyes with his paw and looked again. Nope, he wasn’t seeing things and he wasn’t dreaming. 

“Blackstar?” Meowed Tawnypelt in confusion as to what had made their leader send a cat back for her while he had lead a patrol, then she saw what he had seen. “Oh…”

There, partly hidden in a shallow pit, was a young kit, maybe five moons old and huddled under them was a much younger kit only two moons old, both were clearly wet from the heavy rain that had been falling and neither of them was familiar to them.

“Go speak to them.” Blackstar ordered quietly. “No other cats have been here and they have been here since last night.”

Tawnypelt nodded and quietly crept forwards so Blackstar could see the whole interaction from where he was as she made sure the two kits could see her.

“What are you doing out here in this terrible weather?” She meowed as the older of the two kits’ protectively curled their tail over the younger one, small claws coming out as it stood, likely to try and defend the smaller kit.

“We live here.” the older kit said, a tom with what might have once been a pale grey pelt and a white sock on one paw and yellow eyes.

“Here?” Tawnypelt meowed, “Alone?” she asked looking at the smaller kit, another tom with black fur and wide yellow eyes.

“Yes.” 

“Where is your mother?” Tawnypelt asked. “He looks far too young to be away from her.”

“Dead.” 

Tawnypelt blinked at the kits, seeing the fear in the younger kits eyes and the sadness in the older she huffed softly and sat down. “Sounds like you have a story to tell.” She meowed, then watched as the smaller kit blinked at her. “Will you come out of there? You must both be very cold and you look hungry.”

“You… you won’t hurt us?” the smaller kit asked, his voice so soft she almost didn’t hear him.

“I would never hurt a kit,” Tawnypelt assured, “I am part of a clan that lives in this forest and I would be breaking our code if I hurt you.” She added as the youngest kit wiggled and stumbled out of the pit.

She smiled kindly at him and felt her chest tighten as the kit wiggled close to her, his body shaking so violently she couldn’t help but bend down and gently being to wash his tiny body, watching the older kit pad over to her and curl up close to her side, trying to find warmth.

“Will you help us?” the little tom meowed and looked at her with such huge eyes she almost agreed without second thought.

“I will have to ask my leader if you can stay.” She said though Blackstar had already made up his mind. “Will you come with me?” She asked already gently lifting the youngest kit by the scruff.

The older kit nodded and hurried after her as she lead the way back towards the Shadowclan camp, meeting Blackstar on the way as the white tom sat outside the camp, waiting for them.

The two kits huddled together behind Tawnypelt’s front paws, trying to stay warm as the shecat told the large male their story and the youngest hide behind his brother as Blackstar bent his head to look at them both carefully before nodding.

“Come inside, out of the rain.” Blackstar huffed softly and Tawnypelt nudged the two forwards, leading them into the warmth of the Medicine Cats den, where they would both stay for the night and no sooner had they made it into the fresh nest Littlecloud had made they two fell asleep, curled up together in a small bundle of gray and black fur.

“Did they tell you their names?” Blackstar asked and Tawnypelt shook her head.

“Poor mites.” Littlecloud huffed, “The little one will need milk and they will both need a good wash. But for now, they need rest.” He said and lightly shooed Blackstar out of the den. “Best they wake up with you close by.” He added to Tawnypelt and the shecat nodded carefully curling herself around the two kits and gently nuzzled them both purring to help them sleep as she felt them shift beside her.

 

They woke the next morning, Tawnypelt could feel the littlest kit pawing at her tail tip while the older one moved to stretch and look around the den.

“Why are there so many leaves and berries?” the youngest asked.

“I don’t know… maybe they use them to make food taste better?” the older said and Tawnypelt felt the little kit move and heard him sniff a leaf. 

“Yucky!” he meowed. “They don’t smell nice.”

“They aren’t meant to,” Tawnypelt meowed as she sat up, “This is a Medicine Cat’s den, the plants in here are to help heal injuries and cure sickness.” She explained smiling as the littlest kit moved away from the leaf and peeked into another small crack where Littlecloud kept cobwebs.

“What’s going to happen to us?” the older kit asked.

“Well that is up to Blackstar, the leader of our clan. But it would be nice to know your names.” Tawnypelt said with a softly purr.

“Mama called me Fog, but she didn’t give him a name.” The oldest kit, Fog meowed and lightly nudged his brother back to where it was warm in the nest when a draft made his fur ruffle. “I call him Small.” 

“I’m hungry.” Small meowed. “Can we go find food?” he added looking at Tawnypelt.

“Vou ‘an haf dis.” A muffled meow said as Littlecloud wiggled into the den, carrying a plump mouse in his muzzle while Flamepaw carried a frog in behind him.

Small’s ears twisted as he looked at the frog. “What’s that?” he meowed.

“That is a frog.” Tawnypelt smiled as her son placed the frog down and nudged it towards the smaller toms. 

“The skin can taste a bit odd at first, but once you get past that you’ll like it.” He meowed as Small sniffed the frog and gave it a prod with his paw as if to check it was indeed dead.

“Mama never brought frogs to us before.” Fog meowed and took a small bite, like most kits when they first tried frog he made a funny face at the taste of the skin but soon got over it and took another bite. 

Small kept sniffing the frog and gave the skin an experimental lick before shaking his head, “Yucky,” He meowed, trying to get the taste off his tongue.

“Here,” Fog offered after he’d chewed a mouthful of frog up a little and placed it down for Small to eat, “Your teeth are still too little to bite.” He meowed.

Much to the Shadowclan Cats surprise Small began to eat it, though his chewing wasn’t quite right and was a little messy, he’d clearly started to eat kill since the loss of his mother.

Tawnypelt caught Littlecloud’s eye and the Medicine cat nodded, leaving the vole for her as he wiggled back out of the den for a moment. 

“So, do you like it?” Flamepaw purred.

“It’s good!” Small purred back after swallowing what he had been chewing, purring more as Fog placed a second chewed up mouthful down for him.

“Told you.” The Apprentice purred then moved to sit with his mother as Littlecloud came back with another tom. 

“How are they?” Blackstar asked, noticing that as his voice. Fog stopped eating and moved just that little closer to Small while the younger kit continued to eat.

“Unharmed, just hungry and in need of a wash,” Littlecloud meowed.

“Your mother?” Blackstar asked the two kits.

“Dead.” Fog said again. 

“How?” Blackstar asked.

“Henry.” Fog meowed, ears dropping and shoulders sagging.

“Who is Henry?” Flamepaw meowed.

“An ugly, smelly, dog-breathed, old tom with a stick shoved up his rear, ticks in both ears and a wasp sting on the nose.” Small said as if he were repeating something he had heard many times. “He used to live in a garden with a twoleg, but mama said he was thrown out for being bad before I was born.”

“You’re kittypets?” Tawnypelt asked.

“No.” Fog shook his head. “We live outside with Mama, she said twolegs are bad and we should stay away from them. Henry started to follow us around when Small was born, but Mama kept him away.” He explained then nudged Small lightly. “Until she got hurt.”

“Hurt?” Tawnypelt repeated.

“A twoleg trap, she got her paw stuck in it and it went all red and got really big, then it went really yucky and she couldn’t walk right on it.” Small explained, “She walked like this.” He added and waddled around with his right hindpaw tucked up to his belly, as if it was hurt before he unbalanced himself and tumbled over with a light ‘ow’.

“Hmmm.” Littlecloud murred in thought while Flamepaw gently helped Small back to his paws.

“Flamepaw why don’t you take Small to the puddles outside and help him get cleaned up?” Tawnypelt purred as Fog looked between Small and Blackstar, who was silently waiting for the other kit to continue his story. “I’ll bring Fog out in a moment.” She added.

“Can I go?” Small asked Fog.

“Just don’t splash any cat.” He meowed and Small meowed and waddled after Flamepaw, once they were gone, Fog huffed and continued the story. “Henry caught us near a Monster path and he tried to make Mama go with him, but she wouldn’t go. She told me to pick up Small and run across the path and that she’d follow us and I believed her.”

Tawnypelt brushed his back her with tail. “She didn’t make it?”

“Henry bit her neck and he wouldn’t let go, she clawed his face and made him bleed, but when Henry let go she just laid there,” Fog nodded. “We tried to call her over but she just, didn’t get up. Henry didn’t follow us over the Monster path, but we didn’t go back over. I promised Mama I’d look after Small, even though he cried a lot for her and milk until I started to chew up food for him.”

“You’ve done a very good job keeping him alive.” Littlecloud praised softly as Blackstar lightly tapped his tail to the ground in thought, “But you know he still needs milk if he is to fully develop.” He added.

“But Mama’s gone.” Fog meowed. “I can’t give him milk and we can’t go to a twoleg.” 

“But you can stay here.” Blackstar meowed at last. “There are Queens here who can spare your brother some milk and look after you both until you are old enough to be Apprentices.”

“Really? You won’t send us away?” Fog asked with such hope in his eyes Blackstar realized the Kit had been dreading that they would send him and his brother away now that they knew their story.

“No Warrior would ever let a kit go off alone to die,” Blackstar nodded. “You will be welcomed into the clan properly after you have washed.” He added with a nod and padded out of the den.

 

“From this moment on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Fogpaw.” Blackstar purred proudly as Fogpaw sat below him, his tail twitching just that tiny bit from excitement.

Smallkit sat with Swansong, all but bouncing on his paws with excitement. “I’ll be an Apprentice soon, won’t I Swansong?” he asked quietly.

“In a few moons yes, but only if you can sit still,” the Queen purred in amusement while giving the little one a gentle lick to his ears.

Smallkit smiled and turned back to watch Blackstar address the gathered cats again, his gaze falling on Tawnypelt after a moment. “Tawnypelt, you have served Shadowclan well and you have shown unwavering loyalty, I trust that you will pass on your skills and loyalty to your new Apprentice.” He meowed.

Tawnypelt dipped her head softly. “I will Blackstar.”

Fogpaw smiled and padded to Tawnypelt as the shecat bent and touched noses with him, the whole of Shadowclan yowling Fogpaw’s name into the early morning sunlight.

“Come,” Tawnypelt smiled, “I’ll show you around the territory while we go patrolling.” 

“Ok,” Fogpaw nodded, waving his tail in farewell to Smallkit as they left, following Tawnypelt with ease now he had grown stringer and become much larger with the good care and prey from Shadowclan.

Smallkit had started to grow again too, thankfully Swansong had enough milk to spare to help the little kit grow fully, and now he was eating his own prey. Even taking the bone and burying them away from where any other kit might find them.

“Do you enjoy living here?” Tawnypelt asked.

“I do.” Fogpaw nodded. “Its nice, and no cat teases us about being small.”

“And your brother? Do you think he will like it?” Tawnypelt purred watching Fogpaw jump a large puddle and paused watching a large butterfly flutter past.

“He likes the stories.” Fogpaw chuckled, “and he says he wants to be a warrior like you, though he doesn’t want to eat any yucky herbs.”

Tawnypelt purred, recalling a story Flamepaw had told the two kits while he was searching the elders for ticks or fleas, telling them about how Littlecloud had mixed up some herbs for the Apprentices to cure a bout of Green cough, it had tasted so awful that Dawnpaw had to be fed the herbs with honey to sweeten the taste after the first attempt to eat the herbs had resulted in her rushing away from the den and to a sheltered place in the grass to throw up.

“He’ll only make them for him if he gets sick.” She assured, “beyond that, he will be treated like any kit and them Apprentice of the clan.”

“He’ll like that,” Fogpaw smiled, looking out across the lake with huge eyes, “Wow,” he meowed.

“Welcome to the Lake.”


	4. #4 Snip Splinters and Blind Cats.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A snip of OCs at the contests day for the clans when the Moon is still in the sky during the day in the Books.

#4 Snip Splinters and Blind Cats.

“Come on Patchpaw!” Heatherpaw cheered as Patchpaw and Hollypaw raced up and down between the lake shore and a tree, part of a race to prove who the fastest cat was.

“Run Hollypaw!” Lionpaw meowed as the two shecats turned back to run the last lap, running around Firestar and Onestar tightly as they raced towards the tree again.

“Go! Go! Go!” the kits cheered with glee as Patchpaw and Hollypaw ran past them, neither looking ready to stop. 

Until-

“Whoa!”  
“Watch out!”

Patchpaw winced as a heavy weight slammed into her back, knocking her over and sending her skidding into the dirt, knocking Hollypaw off her own paws as the two groaned and winced from the impact. 

“What happened?” Onestar meowed in worry as Squirrelflight, Leafpool, Crowfeather and Kestrelflight rushed forward sto check the two apprentices.

“Ow, ow, ow…oh my paw…” Patchpaw winced as she tried to get up and walk only to fall over. “Ow.”

“Where is the pain?” Kestrelflight asked as Hollypaw dizzily got back to her paws with help. “And what happened?”

“In my paw and something tripped me.” Patchpaw said, “I didn’t mean to fall into Hollypaw… is she ok?”

“She’s fine.” Leafpool nodded, “just a little dazed,” She added though she was gently running a paw over Hollypaw’s back and tail to check for any other injuries.

“Look at this.” Crowfeather meowed as he carefully uncovered a thick root where Patchpaw had tripped, sharp splintered of broken bark. “She must have steps on it.”

Kestrelflight looked at Patchpaw’s forepaw and found three thick splintered stuck inside the pads, too small for him remove.

Leafpool looked at then nodded. “Jaypaw, come here please.” She meowed and the blind Apprentice carefully picked his way over to her. “You have smaller teeth, there are three Splinters.” She said. 

Jaypaw nodded in understanding, carefully sniffing at Patchpaw’s paw, “I can get them, but it might hurt.” He warned and then very gently set to work pulling the first of spinsters from the shecat’s paw pad.

Patchpaw winced and shuddered trying not to jerk her paw away from the pain. “Ow…”

“Got it.” Jaypaw meowed and spat the splinter down to the ground beside him before going for the next one.

“What happened?” another Apprentice asked and Patchpaw looked back to see Breezepaw beside her.

“I stepped on a root and got splinters.” She explained, “Ow.” She added as Jaypaw removed the second splinter.

“Last one.” Jaypaw promised while carefully searching for the splinter, feeling Patchpaw wince and tremble. “I promise I will be as quick as I can.” He meowed and Patchpaw nodded.

“How can you even tell where they are?” Breezepaw asked.

“I can smell the bark,” Jaypaw muttered as he found the last splinter and carefully began to pull it out of her paw.

“Oh.” Breezepaw said and then moved aside as Kestrelflight brought a leaf with some marigold juice on to them.

“Thank you Jaypaw.” The Windclan medicine cat purred and once the last splinter was gone, he carefully wrapped her paw up. “Now, no more running for you and no hunting either,” 

“Awww… But I wanna try catching rabbits again.”

“Not until that paw is better.”


	5. #5 Drabble Singing! Leopardstar and Singing! Brambleclaw (I know those eyes/this cat is dead.)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I know those eyes/ This man is dead from the musical Monte Cristo.

#5 Drabble Singing! Leopardstar and Singing! Brambleclaw (I know those eyes/this cat is dead.)  
Total Crack! No like? You know where the back switch is.

Leopardstar stood frozen is shock. “My Stars, my heart beats faster and my mind is racing. Could it be…? Could it be that he’s come back to life?”

There, stalking a mousse on the Thunderclan side of the river, was a tom she thought she recognized all too well. “I know these eyes glancing at me, dark with desire and deep as the sea. I know that face, strange though it seems, scared from his youth and haunting my dreams.” The same brown and black tabby fur and a flash of amber eyes. She had to be sure. She crept closer, keeping her paws light and her fur flat as she move closer to eth edge of the river, watching the tom carefully.

“How can he stand there, a whisker from me? Yet, somehow seem so far away. My eyes must deceive me, my heart must be wrong, you can’t have returned from your grave…” Could it be Tigerstar? Could this really be him? Had he somehow survived after what Scourge had done to him?

“That cat is dead. He left this world. I am not the cat that you seek. Down below when no stars glow, his soul now decays.” Brambleclaw turned at the sound of a snapping twig and hissed in warning at the Riverclan leader making her back up and show herself, almost falling over her own paws in the process. 

Leopardstar looked at Brambleclaw with shock and confusion, unable for a moment unable to understand who she was facing as Brambleclaw continued to hiss at her. “You mind is tricked you are confused, No matter who you might see.”

Brambleclaw shook his head and turned away, “He’s dead and he known as a traitor, as a liar. A cat who loved nothing but himself.” He sighed and caught sight of his reflection in a puddle. “That cat is dead. He isn’t here, I’m just a shadow to you…”

Leopardstar watched him move, unable to stop her mind seeing Tigerstar as Brambleclaw disappeared into the trees she turned away from the river bank and slowly dragged her paws back towards Riverclan. “With every move, traces of him. Why is my heart ache, so hard to ignore?”

Brambleclaw shook his head and moved deeper into the trees, “That cat is dead. He is no more and though it’s torturing me. Can either of us really ever be free?”

Leopardstar paused and looked towards the sky. “Why are his eyes torturing me? Can either of us really ever be free? How can you stand there, a whisker from me? You’re not, what my heart still desires. Why does the truth seem so harsh and so cruel? My heart is broken. I admit, I miss him.”

“Why do you stand there staring at me? I’m not, what your heart still desires.” Brambleclaw hissed and clawed the ground in anger. “Let go of the lies and the pain that he caused, my life is my own, my path is different. And I will never, be like him.”

Later that same night, Leopardstar woke to the scent of a familiar tom in her den and without resistance, she turned close to that scent, trying to find warmth and comfort in it.


	6. #6 One-shot. A Breeze of Happiness.  Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The story version of the comic I have posted on Tumbler link -> http://lady-fenikkusu.tumblr.com/post/155528994772/an-alternate-universe-plot-i-have-in-my-head-for#notes

#6 One-shot. A Breeze of Happiness.   
Part 1

They were close to the boarder with Windclan, enjoying a pleasant day of hunting while the sun shone down on their furs.

“Go ahead.” Mudpatch encouraged softly as he gently nudged his Apprentice forwards. “Try and catch the mouse,” he added smiling as Breezepaw looked at the cat with them.

Crowfeather smiled and nodded assuringly, watching Breezepaw crutch down, carefully looking into the grass at the small movement that could only be a mouse, so focused on his task that he didn’t notice the cat across the stream that separated Thunderclan and Windclan, watching him practice.

Crowfeather watched silently, staying perfectly still as Breezepaw stalked the mouse, pouncing at just the right moment nd landing in the taller grass, hiding his killing bite to the mouse as he stood up the mouse hanging from his jaw by the tail.

“Well done!” Mudpatch purred.

“Nicely caught my son.” Crowfeather smiled and gently touched his nose to his son’s forehead as he looked at his son’s catches. A mole, a sparrow and now a mouse. “Firestar will be pleased,” he added with a proud purr.

Breezepaw smiled and Mudpatch chuckled, lifting the mole up as he followed Breezepaw into the trees.

Crowfeather paused, feeling eyes on him. He hissed and turned his head back towards the cat watching them. “Go back to your world of lies, Nightcloud.” His spat angrily at the shecat. “He doesn’t need you.”

Nightcloud stayed where she was a moment longer before closing her eyes to hide the tears that stung her eyes, turning away from the boarder and headed back towards Windclan.

She padded past Windclan Camp however kept going, paws dragging and made her way towards the far edge of the Territory to a make shift den in a broken old tree, the only grace Onestar had granted her after the truth had come out, after she had lost her place as a Queen in Windclan and been forced to live here, away from the safety of the clan.

Nightcloud huffed and let herself all onto the dried leaves and grass that made her nest.

How did she come to this? Sleeping in a nest of old leaves and grass in a ruined tree of a den, away from her comfy fern nest in the Queen’s den?

~~~

Crowfeather said nothing to her, no matter how many times she would try to bring him prey to share, or tried to strike up a conversation with him, he would turn away and ignore her until she left or until he was finished with his own meal and then left her.

She had stopped trying to follow him, there was no point in trying to pretend he would ever love her, not after what she had done to him to make him her mate in the clan’s eyes. Only Onestar and Kestrelflight knew the truth, Onestar having been told by Kestrelflight after Crowfeather spent six sunrises away from Camp, refusing to even speak to the Nightcloud.

She had brought him a mouse one morning, a mouse she had stuffed with Catnip before going on a patrol with him, and from there, the catnip had taken effect quickly and Nightcloud had used the responsive state it left Crowfeather in as a means to get what she wanted.

Now, with her belly swollen to bursting, she was waiting and hoping her kits came late. Not because it would be easier, but because the kits inside her were not Crowfeather’s at all, they were the kits of another tom, a tom she could never admit was their father.

 

Starclan, however, was not going to allow her to have it easy it seemed, just after a windy night, she and the other Queens were without a den and so, those with kits were staying in the Warrior’s den until the Nursery was fixed, while she, the only Queen still expecting kits was settled in the medicine cat’s den.

Pain woke her, and before she could even think, Kestrelflight was at her side, working to bring her litter to the world. “Oh!! Ah!!” Nightcloud panted and struggled to focus. She hissed and spat in pain, worries and fears making her pains even worse as she struggled and prayed for the litter to be big, at least five kits, five kits would be easier to explain and they would be small, any less and she knew there would be questions.

“Big breaths,” the medicine cat nodded. “Try to relax when you can, it will ease the pain.” He added gently checking her stomach and listening carefully, though he looked worried already. “Crowfeather! Ashfoot! Get in here, I need help!!” Kestrelflight yowled and the two raced over, Crowfeather ignoring Nightcloud and instead began to lick the last born kit rapidly to help it breath as Ashfoot skidding to a stop, wiggling into the den to help the second kit breath, Kestrelflight rapidly licking the first born.

“How many?” Nightcloud winced, trying to sound hopeful as her kits were born. “Aren’t there more?” she asked when Kestrelflight focused on licking the kits rather than more kits being born.

“Three. Two shecats and a tom.” Kestrelflight told her placing the first shecat down beside her belly.

“What?! But… I was sure… I felt more!” She hissed in worry. “Are you sure?”

“You have no more kits inside you, you only have these three.” The Medicine cat said as Ashfoot placed the second shecat at her belly to suckle. 

Crowfeather as still trying to give life to the tom, his body shaking as he licked and licked and licked until at last the tiny tom gave a while and wiggled around blindly. Crowfeather’s fur went flat with relief and he delicately lifted the little tom by the scruff, moving slowly so as not to scare the tiny kit that now blindly hung from his jaws and laid him ever so gently down between his sisters to suckle. 

Kestrelflight nodded and nudged Ashfoot out of the den, “Go tell Onestar.” He said while Crowfeather sat beside the kits, watching them with something Nightcloud never thought she would see in the Tom’s eyes.

Love.

Crowfeather believed these three kits were his and as long as he believed that, Nightcloud thought her kits would be safe.

That was until she looked at Kestrelflight and saw the look of anger in his eyes. Nightcloud glanced at her kits and realized her hopes of this being easy were dashed. Her three kits were perfectly healthy and perfectly sized for kits their age, if they were Crowfeather’s they would have been smaller and likely still be struggling to breath or even suckle.

Kestrelflight knew these kits weren’t Crowfeather’s. 

 

Sunrises passed slowly for Nightcloud and she realized that despite his lack of love towards her, Crowfeather was the perfect father to her kits, he made sure that they didn’t wiggle to far from safety, he brought them soft wool and feathers to sleep on and he bathed them every day while Nightcloud slept. He was there when they started to try and open their eyes, he greeted them with gently licks and tender nuzzles.

Nightcloud was also fully aware of Kestrelflight watching her when Crowfeather went hunting, she knew that the only thing keeping Kestrelflight from outright accusing her of lying to Crowfeather was the fact the kits seemed to be the only think keeping Crowfeather in camp more now.

Kestrelflight would soon tell Onestar what he thought of these kits however, she knew it and then she would have to answer the questions about who these kits real father was at least to Onestar and she couldn’t stand to lie again and say they were the kits of a rogue or some other cat, she’d lost any credibility to that kind of story when she’d tricked Crowfeather with the Catnip.

She was also aware that some cats in camp were watching her carefully, and if she said the wrong thing, they would sell her out to Onestar and then her kits would be in untold danger.

Unless…

Nightcloud looked around the den slowly, spotting what she was looking for she made a quick plan and when Kestrelflight was distracted by Ashfoot, she snatched the smallest berry from the store and hid it behind her as she waited for the perfect time to put her plan into action. 

 

It came two days later, after the kits had opened their eyes fully and begged Crowfeather to take them outside. Onestar came into the den, carrying a large hare with him as Crowfeather took the kits outside for the first time, letting the small tom hold his tail in his teeth as they walked outside.

She heard her daughters quizzing Crowfeather about everything from why the sky was blue to why they couldn’t go out of camp yet.

He answers calmly and coolly, gently nudging the youngest kit forwards to greet Ashfoot as the shecat padded over and crouched to see them better. “How adorable,” The gray shecat smiled. “And who are these fine kits?” she asked.

“This is Mudkit she is the oldest shecat, this is Hazelkit the second shecat and this little one,” Crowfeather introduced lightly touching his tail tip to the tom’s head. “Is Breezekit.”

“Hello.”  
“Are you a warrior?”  
“Can we really go outside camp when we get big?” 

Nightcloud smiled, watching Crowfeather with her kits she reminded herself that he had no love for her but he clearly loved these kits, he thought whole heartedly they were his.

Crowfeather did make a good father, but she had to do this to avoid suspicion. 

When no cat was looking, Nightcloud used her claw to cut into the berry and smeared the juice onto her milk nubs, not enough to be seen obviously on her fur, but even the small amount was enough to make her belly sting and burn, she forced herself to ignore it and dug a quick hole and put the ruined berry into it and hid it as she took a bite of her meal. 

She’d done what she needed to do, now her kits would get sick and they would appear weak, now she needed only to wait.

 

Breezekit watched in wonder as a butterfly fluttered overhead and tried to catch it with his paws, his sisters chasing after it with him, all squealing and laughing as Crowfeather followed a few paw steps behind them.

“What is it?” Breezekit asked as the butterfly landed on a tall blade of grass ahead of them and the three surrounded the tiny creature, watching it with huge curious eyes. “What is it father?”

“It’s a butterfly,” Crowfeather said and very carefully used his paw to lift the butterfly from the grass and lower it slowly for them to see better, “They aren’t prey, but they are beautiful to look at.”

“Butterfly.” Mudkit repeated and dared to bend forwards to try and sniff the creature only to freeze as the butterfly fluttered from Crowfeather’s paw and landed on her nose making her sneeze and the insect flutter off. “Aw, it go away.”

“They never stay in one place for very long.” Crowfeather smiled, using a paw to stop Hazelkit from trying to sneak off out of camp. “No.”

“Awww, but I wanna see what’s outside camp.” She whined softly. “Please father.”

“Hmmm.” Crowfeather thought and then smiled and crouched down, “Climb on my head.” He purred and Hazelkit wiggled up, laying herself between his ears, her eyes going wide as Crowfeather stood to his full height.

“Wow…” Hazelkit gasped, “It’s so big…”

“And one day when you are big, you will see it all.” Crowfeather smiled, and lowered himself down again, waiting for Hazelkit to slide off his head as Mudkit climbed on, he did the same for Breezekit, smiling as Breezekit, feeling brace slowly stood up on his own paws atop his father’s head and tried to see just that tiny bit further.

“I’m hungry father.” Mudkit meowed.

“Come then,” he smiled, “I will take you back to the den.” He added and gently nudged them along.

He was silent when they entered the den, turning his gaze from Nightcloud as she made to speak with him, only to come nose to chest with Onestar.

“A moment of your time?” His leader asked and Crowfeather glanced at his kits. “Just a moment.” He assured softly.

Crowfeather waited, watching to make sure his kits were indeed settled with Nightcloud before nodding and followed Onestar out of the den.

They went just outside of camp before Onestar stopped and sat down, “It is good to see you happy again.” he said after Crowfeather sat down himself, looking towards the camp. “But I know there are still problems-”

“I was happy without your insisting I needed a mate.” Crowfeather stated sharply and Onestar sighed. “She forced this on me.”

“I didn’t ask her to use Catnip.”

“No, you just made it clear to the whole camp I was her mate. And then when you found out what she’d done to me you did nothing.” Crowfeather hissed.

“Crowfeather-”

“How do I know my kits will be safe with this clan if the Cat who is meant to lead it can’t even punish the Queens who lie and cheat their way into the nests of a tom who has no desire for her?” the blue eyed tom asked. “Or is it ok for her to lie and cheat her way into the clan’s favour while I am used for her benefit?”

“You love those kits.” Onestar stated firmly, “even though their mother forced you, even though she used Catnip you love those kits.”

“They are mine.” Crowfeather hissed, “the only good things in the mess you forced upon me.”

“Crowfeather-”

“Onestar! Crowfeather!” Ashfoot yowled as she stumbled out of camp, frantic with worry and eye wide. “Something’s wrong with the kits!”

Crowfeather was gone before Onestar could even speak.

~~~

Her plan worked, all three of her kits were sick by the time the sun set, Breezekit had compiled of an odd taste in his mouth before he fell to his side dizzy and weak as his tiny body, a wreck with shallow breathing, shaking and shivering violently, convulsed with some kind of seizure, his sisters lay beside him with the same shivering convulsions.

Crowfeather had all but shoved his way inside the den, trying to help Breezekit and Hazelkit stay warm as Nightcloud licked and nuzzled Mudkit, trying to get her to respond before Kestralfeather had shoved her and Crowfeather out of the den, telling them to stay back as he worked rapidly, trying to help the tiny kits fight whatever this sudden illness was with his herbs.

He’d given them Yarrow to make them throw up and to his horror all three had thrown up a bloodish red fluid with the milk they had suckled, now he was working frantically to save them.

Crowfeather paced frantically back and forth outside, his ears flat and his tail lashing behind him as he moved, clearing in deep destress despite Onestar’s attempts to comfort him while Nightcloud shifting from place to place, trying to peek in and see her kits while taking comfort from her fellow Queens. 

She’s used too much she knew that now, and she was truly worried she could lose all of the kits. 

Crowfeather’s ears went up as Kestrelflight hissed in anger and the soft meowling of three kits became the two.

“Hazelkit!!!” he yowled and tried to get into the den to help, only for Onestar to grab his scruff and pull him back as Ashfoot moved to block his path. “Let go of me! Let go!”

“You can’t help them if you just rush in!” Ashfoot hissed. “Stay here and wait! Kestrelflight can still save the others!”

“Let go! Let me go!!” Crowfeather hissed and used his claws to try and pull away from Onestar and push past Ashfoot, desperate to get at the kits and try to help them. “Get off me!!” He pulled and fought against them both, not caring that he’d lost clumps of fur as Onestar tried to hold him back. 

“Starclan- Hold him down!” Onestar snarled out and Crowfeather felt every Warrior in Windclan who could spare a paw push him down, holding him down as he struggled against them, trying to wiggle and pull himself free of them.

“Get off me!” Crowfeather snared and spat, almost managing to throw Tornear and Onestar off him before the elders jumped in and forced him back to the ground under their own weight.

He watched through tears as a star pelted black tom came from the Medicine Cat’s den and sat before him, his head bowed in respect, one forepaw twisted badly to prevent him walking correctly on it, blue eyes looking down at Crowfeather with love and sympathy.

Deadfoot. Former Deputy of Windclan.

His own father.

“Please… please save them…” He pleaded. “Please… please…”

“Kestrelflight is doing all he can.” Ashfoot told him trying to sound as assuring as she could.

Deadfoot bowed his head even lower and Crowfeather watched in horror as a star pelted kit padded sadly from the Medicine Cat’s den, her green eyes shimmering in fear and with tears as she look at her father, trying so hard to reach her while other held him down.

The meowling grew quieter and Crowfeather’s heart wrenching sobs grew more intense as a second kit joined Deadfoot outside the den, amber eyes looking sad and lost, unable to understand what had happened.

“Mudkit!!”

“Let them in!” Kestrelflight snarled from inside the den at last and Crowfeather all but collapsed inside the den and gathered the two small bodied to him, covering them with gentle licks and nuzzles in a vain attempt to try and wake them, to bring them back.

“Father…?”

Crowfeather looked to Breezekit and felt hope cling to his heart, the small tom was breathing normally, but he was shaking from weakness his smelt of sickness and almost looked ready to die with his sisters as Kestrelflight gently placed a leaf covered in pulp and juice before him.

“Please, try and eat this little one.” Kestrelflight pleaded and Breezekit weakly tried to take a mouthful of the pulp, but his weak body struggled to stay upright.

“Crowfeather, you have to help him,” the Medicine cat said as he nudged the tom towards Breezekit. “Help him eat all of this and then get him to drink from this moss.” The Medicine cat told him.

Crowfeather nodded, giving the two tiny kits in his paws one last loving lick before he moved and curled himself around Breezekit, gently placing a paw under the tiny tom’s chin to keep him from choking and gently feeding the kit the way he had seen Cinderpelt and Littlecloud feed herbs to the kits on their journey.

He used his claws to gently scoop the smallest bits of the pulp from the leaf and then, lightly wiggled his toes to help keep Breezekit awake as the little tom weakly licked the pulp from his claws.

“Please, eat.” He pleaded, gently nudging Breezekit with his nose as the kit struggled to stay awake, “you can sleep when you have finished and had a drink, I promise.” He added and slowly Breezekit began to chew the pulp from Crowfeather’s paw pads, his little body shaking so much Crowfeather though he was going to lose the tiny kit as well.

Deadfoot stepped into the den and over to his son, his eyes on the small black kit as Nightcloud nudged and sobbed over her daughters, repeating over and over how sorry she was, blaming herself for their deaths, though neither Hazelkit nor Mudkit went to her side, instead they nudged and nosed Breezekit, trying to help encourage him to eat.

“Be brave my son,” The former Deputy assured and Crowfeather felt his father’s nose touch his ear. “This kit will need you.”

Crowfeather nodded, though he was struggling to keep his tears in check as he watched his father leave the den, leading the two shecat kits away with him back to the stars.

It began to rain at some point, but Crowfeather didn’t care, leaving Breezekit in the safety of Kestrelflight’s warm nest, he padded out and made his way to the sheltered place Hazelkit and Mudkit’s bodies had been placed for the clan to sit Vigil.

The whole of Windclan echoed with the heart broken sobs of a tom that night, even as Breezekit lay sleeping in Kestrelflight’s den, slowly recovering his strength and warmth, Crowfeather sat in the middle of the camp in the pouring rain, crying over the loss of two kits.

Nightcloud sat a few tails back from him, comforted by the other Queens as she was unable to get close to Crowfeather after the tom had hissed at when she’d tried to comfort him before the vigil started.

There was no love for Nightcloud in him and now that he had lost two of his kits, the whole camp knew only Breezekit’s life would keep Crowfeather from running away.

Ashfoot had told the clan it was best to let Crowfeather be alone after the third cat tried to comfort him only to be hissed at and slowly, they had left the grieving tom alone, Nightcloud had laid down close by while Crowfeather sat, shaking and a wreck with sobs over the lifeless bodies of his kits.

 

The following morning, Crowfeather was still outside, bent over the cold bodies of the kits as he gently licked them dry from the rain, his eyes swollen from tears as the elders gently nudged him, softly running their own tongues over the little kit’s bodies before carefully picking the two kits up by their scruffs with the greatest care, treating them with respect and care Crowfeather knew would be remembered by his daughters from Starclan and carefully the elders carried them away to be buried.

Nightcloud came up to him and tried to lean on him, but he shoved her away, claws out and his fur raised in rage. “Leave me ALONE!!” He snarled at her and stormed off out of camp.

“I told you to let him be!” Ashfoot told her harshly. “He has lost too much, the pain is too raw.”

“They were my kits too!” Nightcloud hissed.

Ashfoot rounded on the younger shecat. “You tricked my son into fathering those kits in you with Catnip, YOU don’t love him! You have no right to even TRY to comfort him!” the grey cat hissed with rage before Onestar shouldered his way between them. 

“Enough!” he snarled and pushed Nightcloud away from Ashfoot. “Ashfoot, go and try to calm him down before he does something foolish. Nightcloud, you will stay here and rest.” He ordered and Ashfoot nodded racing off after her son as Onestar returned to his den.

Nightcloud sighed and marched to her nest only to go stiff as she watched Kestrelflight walk into Onestar’s den, Breezekit hanging from his teeth as the little kit was still too weak to walk far by himself.

~~~

Ashfoot found Crowfeather slumped in the long grass at the edge of Windclan’s territory, near the Thunderpath that cut alone the moors leading into a few spars trees on the other side, there was a shallow trail behind Crowfeather’s back legs, which were sprawled awkwardly and stained with grass and mud, as if he had fallen and skidded to a stop rather than simply laid down where he was now.

He was shaking violently and despite herself, Ashfoot curled herself around her son, gently licking his face clean of the tears that fell again.

“It’s all my fault…” he sobbed. “I lost Feathertail because I was a coward, I lost Leafpool because I was selfish and now… now I’ve lost my daughters… my little kits…”

“None of this is your fault.” Ashfoot told him, wrapping her tail over her son’s shoulders, “Listen to me, Crowfeather. You did not lose Feathertail because you were a coward, she gave her life so that you would continue to live yours. She gave herself so that we could come here, to our new home and live on. No cat, no matter whose clan they come form or how many seasons pass, will ever forget Feathertail’s sacrifice for us.”

“But if I had been braver… she wouldn’t have had to die!” Crowfeather hissed shaking his head.

“Listen to me!” Ashfoot hissed sharply and Crowfeather looked at her with wide eyes. “You are the bravest, most kind tom I know. You have your father’s love and mine and despite the pain of losing Feathering, you and the others brought us back to the place she died, you told me how much you loved her, how much she taught you and you never lost your desire to explore and learn, even after all you went through, you took her name for Starclan sake!”

“But-”

“And then,” Ashfoot said gently nuzzling her son, “You fell in love with Leafpool and I knew your heart would never lay with Windclan. I knew you would never find true happiness here. No matter what I wished for, so I stepped back and let you do as you wanted, I let you see her and I let you make your own choice.” She went on, “I know you will never stop loving that she-cat, no matter what Onestar or I or anyone else says. Love like that is too strong to ignore or forget, no matter what we may tell ourselves.” 

“But She… we can never be…” he sobbed, “I’m a Warrior and she’s a Medicine cat… It’s forbidden by Starclan themselves.”

“That didn’t stop you running away with her,” Ashfoot pointed out with a soft purr, gently licking his face clean of tears, as she had many times when he was still a kit and when he had come home that winding day, his head bowed and tears slipping from his eyes after they had lost Feathertail. “What is meant to be, Starclan forbidden or not, it will find its way to be. Firestar is proof of that.” 

“But…”

“Enough now my son.” She soothed and nuzzled him gently. “You have lost much in your life already and I can see it in your eyes, the same aged look that fell on your father’s face when he was told You had gone away, the same look that fell on Tallstar when he grew so old he had to lean on Onestar to stand up right. So I want you to promise me something.” She said.

“What?” Crowfeather asked.

“Promise me that no matter where your heart leads you from here on, you will never lie to yourself and you will never let anyone tell you what you can and cannot do.” Ashfoot said, curling herself around her son as the cool morning breeze washed over them. “Promise me that no matter what is said or done, you will never let someone else control your heart.”

Crowfeather nodded and shuddered as he felt the cold breeze reach his bones. “I’m cold, Mother… I feel so weak…” he meowed weakly realizing now just how tired and weak he was from the run and the loss of his kits.

“It will pass my son.” Ashfoot nodded and gently nudged him back to his paws, “Come, let us go back to camp, and then, you can rest, I’ll bring Breezekit to you and if Nightcloud has issue with that, she can go find Hawkfrost and give him catnip.” 

Crowfeather gave a broken half laugh half sob sound as he walked with his mother, his left hind leg hurt so much he could hardly walk on it as he limped alongside her all the way back to camp.

“Father!” 

Crowfeather looked up as Breezekit looked out to him from Onestar’s warm tail, wiggling to try and reach Crowfeather as Ashfoot lead him into the Medicine Cat’s den to sleep, Nightcloud was nowhere to be seen but Crowfeather didn’t care as he was laid down and the tiny body of Breezekit was placed beside him.

“Rest Crowfeather,” Onestar said, “We will talk later.” He added and Kestrelflight nodded, carefully and gently checking Crowfeather’s legs and paws while Ashfoot laid beside her son, gently washing the mud and grass from his fur with damp moss and her own gentle claws while Breezekit snuggled into the space between Crowfeather’s chin and paws as the older tom slept.

~~~

When Crowfeather woke, he found Breezekit still nestled under his chin, purring softly as he slept while Ashfoot sat beside him, searching moss, heather clumps and ferns for any thorns or stinging leaves with the Apprentices as Kestrelflight rubbed Marigold pulp onto his left hind leg.

“Take a drink.” The Medicine cat ordered softly, and Crowfeather nodded, gently leaning over his still sleeping son and sucking from the moss in front of him, savouring the cool liquid as it soothed the dull pain to his throat.

“Onestar wishes to see you and me when you feel up to it,” Kestrelflight added with a smile as Breezekit twitched in his sleep, snuggling closer to Crowfeather’s chest for warmth as he started to wake up, blinking his little eyes rapidly.

“I’m hungry…” Breezekit meowed softly.

Ashfoot nodded. “Come, we’ll go see the Queens and ask them if they can spare some.” She purred softly.

Crowfeather looked between her and Kestrelflight and then nodded gently nudging Breezekit towards Ashfoot. “I’ll come and find you when I’m done with Onestar.” He promised and touched his nose to Breezekit’s with a soft purr.

“Ok father.” Breezekit nodded and followed Ashfoot closely.

“Come.” Kestrelflight bid and Crowfeather carefully got to his paws and followed the Medicine cat to Onestar’s den, still limping slightly from the fall he’d taken that morning as they reached their leaders den and wiggled down inside to find Onestar waiting for them, a grim look on his face.

“Please, make yourself comfortable Crowfeather.” The leader stated kindly. “We have much to talk about… and I fear it could have been avoided if I were not so blinded by anger and foolish hopes.” He sighed.

“What do you mean?” Crowfeather asked.

“Nightcloud poisoned the kits.” 

“WHAT!?” Crowfeather snarled as Kestrelflight’s claws racking the floor of the den as he paced back and forth. 

“Kestrelflight brought Breezekit in here after Mudkit and Hazelkit were taken to be buried, according to Breezekit, after you brought them to Nightcloud and spoke with me they started to suckle for milk but it didn’t taste right. He said it tasted sour and suckling left hi slips and tongue feeling so hot it hurt to breath.” Onestar explained.

“She used a Death Berry. It’s the only thing in my den that could do that to a kit and its the only thing that is short one berry since I last counted them. She killed Hazelkit and Mudkit and nearly killed Breezekit.” The Medicine cat hissed in fury, “And there is something else you must know.” 

“What more do I need to know about that… that Dark Forest loving vixen spawned monster!?” Crowfeather spat in untold rage.

“Breezekit is not your son.” 

Crowfeather thought his heart was going to snap in two. Everything stopped as he felt his chest tighten. “What do you mean, not mine?”

“He’s too healthy and too well developed to be yours, if he were, he would have come this season, not the last. His fur is brown underneath all that black, not greyish like yours and Ashfoot’s.” Kestrelflight said. “He’s not your son, Crowfeather and Hazelkit and Mudkit weren’t your daughters.”

“Then… then why did Nightcloud do this?!”

“To cover her own lies.” Onestar said. “I realize now that Nightcloud was one of Mudclaw’s followers before his death.”

Crowfeather felt sick, all this time, the three kits he thought where his were the offspring of the traitor who’d left Tallstar to die alone, the kits of a cat who hated the way Windclan maintained friendship with Firestar so much he had openly proclaimed it was Firestar’s fault Tigerstar had killed the Windclan Apprentice he had carried home all those moons ago...

“Breezekit… isn’t mine…?”

“I’m sorry Crowfeather.” Kestrelflight meowed softly putting his tail over Crowfeather’s shoulders. 

“This is all my fault.” Onestar said, “I allowed her to do this to you because I was worried you would run off again with that Thunderclan shecat… but in forcing you to stay here I have allowed you to suffer a worse fate then being separated from a cat you love.”

“Where is she now?” Crowfeather asked in a low hiss as his claws extended from his paws.

“We sent her hunting while we spoke to you.” Onestar said, “And when she comes back we will confront her about this in the privacy of my den.” He added and Crowfeather nodded, moving to lay in the darkest part of the den, just beside the entrance where no cat could see him unless they were looking right at him.

~~~

Nightcloud returned to camp with her head hung low and her tail dragging as she dropped a pathetically scrawny hare on the pile and made to go to her nest to sleep.

“Nightcloud.” Ashfoot called from the Leader’s den. “Onestar wishes to see you, now.” He added sternly and Nightcloud huffed softly before padding to the den and wiggled inside. 

“Yes Onestar?” She asked quietly, then spotted Kestrelflight sat with Onestar and felt somewhat uneasy. 

“You forced Crowfeather to lay with you with catnip. I allowed you to do that because I thought it was or the best to keep Crowfeather in Windclan.” Onestar began, “But recently I have come to realize that you lied to the whole clan about who the Father of your kits is, you did what you did to Crowfeather to make the clan think the kits were his. But they aren’t. are they?” he asked and Nightcloud winced, shuffling her paws.

“How did you know?” She asked.

“I am a Medicine cat.” Kestrelflight reminded sharply, “Mudkit, Hazelkit and Breezekit were too healthy and strong to be Crowfeather’s, they came perfectly timed for a littler who had been conceived One Moon before you tricked Crowfeather into your nest.” He added then growled out, “And then, you poisoned them, killing your daughters.”

“No!” Nightcloud hissed, “I didn’t mean for them to die! It was just… just meant to make them sick… make them weak so no one would think they weren’t Crowfeather’s… I didn’t want them to die!”

“You Used a DEATH BERRY to poison them! What did you think would happen?!” Kestrelflight hissed in fury. 

Nightcloud couldn’t answer then went stiff as she felt eyes on her back but efore she could answer, Onestar spoke again. 

“Who,” he began to ask, shaking in rage. “Is the real father of those kits?” 

“Crowfea-”

“LIAR!!!” Crowfeather snarled and Nightcloud ducked to avoid having her ears ripped off as Crowfeather swiped at her from the shadows, chasing her out of the Den and into the middle of camp. “They were too healthy! To strong and well developed to be mine!!” 

Nightcloud hissed, “They need a good father!”

“Tell me the truth Nightcloud!” Crowfeather snarled, “Just once, tell me the truth! Who is the father of the kits!?”

“You are their father!” Nightcloud snarled in rage. “You raised them! You bathed them! You love them! Why does it matter who their real father is if you love them so much?!”

“You lied to me! You used me to hide the truth about them and I refuse to be lied to anymore! Who is Breezekit’s real farther?!” Crowfeather snarled in fury, “Did you let Hawkfrost take you to his nest while you and Mudclaw were scheming with him!? Or are they the kits of a rouge you laid down for?!” he demanded, “Tell me!”

“Why are they shouting at each other?” Breezekit asked Ashfoot as he hid behind one of the Queens. “Did I do something wrong?”

“No dear one, you did not.” Ashfoot assured softly as the fight continued.

“Tell me the truth!!”

“It doesn’t matter!”

“The clan has the right to know who the real father is of Breezekit.” Kestrelflight hissed and Nightcloud snarled at him. 

“No cat in Windclan would trust him if they knew!” She snarled. “They’d exile him!”

“I wouldn’t allow a kit to be exiled!” Onestar snarled.

“You would!” Nightcloud hissed. “You’d have had him killed at birth and his sisters! You would never allow Mudclaw’s blood to stay in the clan!” She added then went stiff and wide eyes realizing her mistake.

“Mudclaw?!” Ashfoot gasped looking at Breezekit, who was shaking and trying desperately to hide formal the cats now staring at him.

This little innocent kit was the blood of Mudclaw?! 

“What did I do?” Breezekit asked in fear and Ashfoot shook her head.

“Noting, little one.” she assured and gently drew the kit closer with her tails. “You did nothing.”

“So all this was your way of trying to hide their true heritage. And when you realized your plan had failed you try to kill them?!” Onestar demanded. “I will no longer stand for your lies and deception.” He hissed, “Nightcloud, from this day onwards until I deem you worthy, you are banished from Windclan Camp, you will not share prey with us or sleep in our company for your crimes against the kits you birthed and lied to, you will sleep in the hollow tree at the edge of our Territory. The other clans will be informed of your actions and crimes and told that if they see you on their land you are to be treated as a rouge.”

“You can’t-” Nightcloud hissed in fury. “Breezekit-”

“Stays with me.” Crowfeather snarled at her, putting himself between Nightcloud as the small black kit hiding with Ashfoot. “He may not be mine in blood, but he is mine in name and I will not see you ruin his life with lies as you have tried to ruin mine.”

“Go Nightcloud,” Onestar hissed and around the camp, Queens and warriors were hissing and snarling at Nightcloud as she stood, trying to find a friend in the camp to stand for her, “You are not welcome here.”

Nightcloud looked at Crowfeather who hissed and swiped at her with his claws. “Get out!!” he yowled and Nightcloud turned and ran as fast as her paws would carry her.

Crowfeather then moved and crouched down as Breezekit ran to him on clumsy shaking paws and wrapped his tail around the little kit, glaring down any cat that dared to try and speak ill to the kit.

“Enough.” Onestar hissed out as he moved to stand with Crowfeather. “This kit has done no wrong, any cat that dares to hurt him or speak of any action to harm him will die.” He added and Ashfoot stepped up with him, her own claws and fur raised in fury.

Slowly cats moved away and Breezekit dared to look up at Crowfeather. “What’s happening Father?” he asked with a sniffle, “Why is everyone mad at me?”

Crowfeather shook his head. “They aren’t mad at you my son.” He said and gently nuzzled the little tom, purring to try and sooth him, then looked at Onestar. “I’m going to take him for a walk and explain this to him privately.” He said.

“Will you come back?” Onestar asked.

“With all that’s just been unravelled about Nightcloud’s lies.” Crowfeather hissed. “Neither him or I will be back here again. We clearly can never belong to this clan.” He added and gently nudged Breezekit to his paws. “Come my son, we are leaving.”

“Wait a moment.” Ashfoot pleaded and gently rubbed herself against her son’s side, tears stinging her eyes as she bent and nuzzled Breezekit. “Be safe, and remember your promise.” She said.

“I will,” Crowfeather nodded. And lead Breezekit away from Windclan Camp.

~~~

Nightcloud stopped after a long run, panting heavily and paced back and forth frantically, trying to understand how her plans had come so far only to fall apart so quickly, all her hard work had been ruined! 

Now she had nothing, no way to put the kits of the true leader of Windclan in charge of Windclan to return the clan to glory!

How had it all gone so wrong!?

She hissed and spat, scraping what she could of soft grass and leaves into her ‘prison’ and curled up, to try and figure out what to do next as the sky began to grow dark 

~~~

They stopped by the lake, and Crowfeather sat down, watching Breezekit chase the swaying grass and the small dragonflies that darted here and there, allowing the little one time to relax and enjoy himself before he explained the horrible truth to him about what had happened.

“My son.” He called softly and Breezekit’s ears went up and he bounced to his side, nuzzling close for warmth as the cool early evening air began to chill his little body.

“Are we going home now?” he asked.

“No,” Crowfeather sighed softly, “We are not going back to Windclan.”

“Why not?” Breezekit asked, “Did I do something wrong? When I told Kestrelflight about the yucky taste?” 

“No,” Crowfeather smiled softly and laid down around Breezekit so eth cooling air wouldn’t get to him as much. “You were very brave and very good to tell him that, it helped everyone see that something terrible had been done to you and your sisters on purpose by your mother.”

“Done on purpose?” Breezekit repeated. “What does that mean?”

“It means it was done knowingly.” Crowfeather explained, “Your mother used what we call a Death Berry to cover her belly, so when you and your sisters suckled, you would get sick.”

“Why would she do that?” Breezekit asked in shock and confusion, “Why father? Why did she make us sick?”

“Because she has told you and all the clan many lies, lies that were becoming too hard to keep up she thought that if you got sick she could keep lying.” Crowfeather explained, gently nuzzling Breezekit to try and sooth him. “But she was foolish, and underestimated just what a Death Berry can do to little kits and as a result of her carelessness and lies, your sisters are in Starclan now.”

“Up there?” Breezekit asked looking up to the sky. “But… I can’t see them.”

“Not yet,” Crowfeather nodded, “But one day you will see them again and they will no doubt visit your dreams as you grow up.” He explained, “And that is why I have brought you out here. there are some lies Nightcloud told that are hurtful and mean that Windclan will not trust you.”

“Why?” Breezekit asked.

“Because you are not my son by blood.” Crowfeather said and bowed his head. “You are the son of a Tom called Mudclaw, he was noble once and kind… but as we travelled from our old home to here, he changed, becoming harsh and cold and turned his back on the friendships Tallstar had made to keep his clan safe… when Tallstar died, he gave deputyship of the clan to Onestar, who was Onewhisker at the time but this caused a lot of fighting between Windclanners. Those who sided with Mudclaw and those who sided with Onewhisker…”

“What happened to him?” Breezekit asked.

“Mudclaw plotted with a Riverclan tom by the name of Hawkfrost to kill Onewhisker and any cat who stood with him to make Windclan his own… Starclan chose that Onewhisker would become leader and caused a tree to fall on Mudclaw, killing him and leaving Windclan to follow Onestar. But it seems Mudclaw had made a plan with Nightcloud for such an outcome.” Crowfeather said.

“What do you mean?”

“Nightcloud was expecting Mudclaw’s litter when he died, and to keep her kits safe, she used Catnip a herb that makes Cats unable to control themselves for a short time, to trick me and for a long time, I believed you and your sisters were mine.” Crowfeather explained and bowed his head. “But you aren’t my kits at all… you are the kits of Mudclaw.”

Breezekit looked at Crowfeather with wide fearful eyes and then shook his head rapidly, pressing himself into the older tom’s fur and sobbing. “I don’t want to be the son of a bad cat! I want you to be my father! I want to be your son!”

Crowfeather purred and curled himself tighter around Breezekit. “You are my son Breezekit,” he said, “if not in blood, in love alone, I will protect you from any cat who thinks they can hurt you and I will never leave you alone.”

“You promise?” Breezekit asked with tear filled eyes.

“I swear it to Starclan,” he promised, nuzzling the little kit as he sagged in relief and yawned bigly, Crowfeather smiled and lightly dragged his tongue over his son’s fur, “curl up and sleep now my son. I will be here when you wake.” Breezekit nodded and curled up with his farther, though he hooked his little paws around the larger tom’s back paw, a means of assurance for himself that Crowfeather wouldn’t leave him.

Crowfeather lay still, smiling as Breezekit drifted to sleep curling up into a tight ball with his tail over his nose as he slept until at last, Crowfeather slowly sat up and looked to the starry sky above them, there was no moon tonight but that meant all he could see were the stars of all the clans above him.

“What do I do now?” he asked them. “Where can I take him so he will be safe?”

“Must you really ask?” a voice purred as a black and white tom cat padded from behind him, long tail lightly brushing against Crowfeather in greeting.

“Tallstar?” Crowfeather asked as the former leader looked down at the kit beside Crowfeather.

“He will never be safe in Windclan, and Riverclan will scorn him, Shadowclan would have no love for him either.” Tallstar sighed. “Must I really tell you where he is safe? Where you will find your true happiness?”

“How can I be happy there?” Crowfeather asked, “Leafpool is a Medicine Cat, she ca never have a mate.”

“They said the same thing about Yellowfang, she had a mate and while her son was foreseen to be a tyrant by Starclan, they did not stop her giving birth to him, just as they have been encouraging Leafpool to carry out her role in what is to come.” Tallstar explained and padded up into the sky a ways before stopping to look back at Crowfeather. “Go to Thunderclan, Crowfeather, take your son and find your true place and your happiness with Leafpool. She will need your love and your support Crowfeather, if she is to keep her faith and hope.” He added.

“And he will be accepted?” Crowfeather asked looking at Breezekit.

“You both will.” Tallstar nodded as three stars began to shine behind him an in a blink of an eye, Tallstar vanished, leaving the three stars to shine just after him as Crowfeather looked towards Thunderclan Territory’s tree line.

Could he truly find happiness there? Could he truely find a way to be with Leafpool, whose love for him had been forbidden by Starclan? Could they truly be together? He looked down at his kit, so small and so weak… he would never survive alone and Windclan would never allow him to grow without some kind of scorn…

Crowfeather looked back to the stars and then nodded, gently lifting Breezekit up by the scruff and carried him towards the trees of Thunderclan.

To be continued...


	7. #7 Snip Brambleclaw’s wake up call.

#7 Snip Brambleclaw’s wake up call.

Tawnypelt knew something was wrong.

Brambleclaw wasn’t at the gathering again, and in his place sat Greystripe…

Firestar had told the other leaders Brambleclaw was sick and in the same instant given the perfect reason why Leafpool was acting as messenger for Jayfeather, and made it clear to all cats that any attempt to ill speak his deputy would be met with a nasty clawing.

Nightcloud had not heeded that warning at first only to have Spiderleg, Lionblaze and Berrynose law her without pause until Firestar called them off.

Crowfeather had said nothing.

She scanned the Thunderclanners at the next two gatherings searching for her brother’s mate only to see she was missing as well. 

Something was VERY wrong.

She hung back as she spotted Lionblaze and moved towards him. “Is my brother alright?” she asked, getting to the point.

“He’s… well… I’m not the best cat to ask.” Lionblaze stuttered.

“Lionblaze!” Greystripe called, “We’re leaving.”

“Coming!” Lionblaze meowed and hurried off. 

“Tawnypelt.” Rowanclaw called to her, “Come on,” He added and waited for her as the clans broke apart and left the island for their Camps.

Still, Tawnypelt was worried, Brambleclaw hadn’t been seen these last three moons at all, not even when there were battles, or even during contests he wasn’t there.

She would have to ask the next patrol if she got chance about her brother. 

 

“Tawnypelt wake up.” Blackstar’s voice woke her that morning and she sat bolt upright in her nest.

“What? What’s happened?” she asked looking around in worry.

“Sandstorm is here to see you.” Blackstar said, his head bowed and unable to make eye contact with her. “She will not say why.” 

Tawnypelt pushed her way out of the den and find Sandstorm waiting in the middle of camp. Her head bowed and shoulders stiff with something Tawnypelt couldn’t understand.

“What is it?” She asked.

“Brambleclaw,” Sandstorm began slowly, “He’s getting weaker and weaker with every passing day and nothing Leafpool or Jayfeather do is helping…”

“What’s happened to him?!” Tawnypelt demanded in worry of her brother’s life.

“Grief.”

“Grief? Grief from what?” Tawnypelt demanded.

Sandstorm didn’t answer and Tawnypelt realized the old she cat looked older than ever now, as if the life had been draining from her these last few moons.

“I came to tell you he may not live through leaf bare.” The pale ginger shecat said after a while. “I don’t know how long he has left… but your mother would have wanted you both to make good any ill will between you before you ran out of time.” And with that, Sandstorm bid good bye to Blackstar and padded away, joining Lionblaze and Cinderheart outside of Shadowclan camp and the three padded back towards Thunderclan Territory.

 

Jayfeather listened to Brambleclaw’s chest, the cold season had brought sickness with it and Brambleclaw had caught the worst of it all.

He was wrecked with grief and unable to rest properly since Firestar brought Squirralflight’s body back to camp and Leafpool had told the whole clan everything about her kits and why Starclan had asked her sister to adopt them and the sickness did not help him any. It made his breaths shallow and his nose was always dry no matter how much water he drank. It was just too much for the tabby tom and despite everything, it hurt Jayfeather and Lionblaze to witness the strong, noble and proud tom they had seen as a father for so long, become this, a weak, trembling mess of fur with hardly the energy to stand or even talk. 

It had been two sunrises since Sandstorm went to Shadowclan to speak with Tawnypelt, and since then, Brambleclaw had gotten worse, his breaths were weak and barely audible, his eyes were glazed, he ran a high fever and shivered with cold.

Daisy had gone across to the Horse place with Cloudtail, Berrynose, Spiderleg, Lionblaze, Leafpool and Cinderpelt and brought back some warm hay to help keep Brambleclaw comfortable making two more trips to bring back even more hay and some kind of pelt the twolegs kept on their own nests, covering Brambleclaw with it as the air grew colder.

“Firestar.” Lionblaze’s call made every cat pause and look over to see Lionblaze had returned to camp.

Jayfeather didn’t bother to try and figure out what was happening, he was too focused on keeping Brambleclaw alive to care about anything else, even as he heard paw steps coming towards him and someone pushing their way into his den, he kept carefully mixing herbs to help keep Brambleclaw alive.

“How is he?” Firestar asked.

Jayfeather shook his head. “He’s not going to survive if he stays like this… I can’t make him better if he doesn’t want to be better.” He said.

“So snap him out of it.” Another voice stated and Jayfeather could feel Tawnypelt’s green gaze on his back. 

“It’ not that easy.” Jayfeather said, “He won’t listen to any cat, Tawnypelt, not me, Firestar, heck even Mousefur’s tried and he still isn’t listening.”

“He’ll listen to me.” Tawnypelt hissed. “Even if I have to rip his fur our a few times.”

Jayfeather sighed, “Be my guest,” He said and flicked his tail to the back of the den. “He’s under there.” He added and then shooed Firestar out of the den following him out.

Alone with her brother Tawnypelt padded over and nudged the lump of fur that lay in the nest, nipping his ears with her teeth and poking him with sharp claws until at last, he moved, stiffly and sorely to look at her with swollen eyes.

“What are you doing to yourself?” She asked.

“I want to be with her…” Brambleclaw mumbled softly.

“You have a life to live.” Tawnypelt snapped, “Firestar told me the whole story, what she did and why she did it, why she isn’t at the gatherings and why he and Sandstorm look like they are on their last legs.”

“She’s dead.” Brambleclaw sobbed, “And it’s my fault.” 

“Rat tails.” Tawnypelt spat. “How is it your fault? You didn’t make her sick!”

“I pushed her away… I made her think... I made her think I hated her…” Brambleclaw sobbed, his voice broken and horse from sickness. “I made her think I didn’t love her anymore… I broke her heart.”

“She broke yours when she had that fling with Ashfur. Or have we forgotten that?” Tawnypelt demanded, forcing herself to stay angry with him, her brother wasn’t going to respond to sympathy or kindness, he needed a claw on the nose and if Thunderclan thought Mousefur was bad, they were going to find out Tawnypelt was worse. “Starclan be damned, you were as bad as each other!”

“What?”

“You fell head over tail for Hawkfrost’s Mouse-dung lies and that drove Squirrelflight right into Ashfur’s heart, then when you finally open your eyes and see that fox heart for what he was, you see how close she is to Ashfur and you go all ‘Why doesn’t she love me anymore?’ and mop around like a kit who lost his acorn! Then when she comes back to you with three kits you jump for joy and don’t even stop to think to ask any questions? Then, oh then we all get the big news from Hollyleaf and the whole clan learns about Leafpool’s and Crowfeather’s little fling and you think its ok to just turn your back on Squirrelflight because she helped her sister?! Stupid fur ball!”

Brambleclaw winced at the old name and flinched away. “Leave me alone.”

“Not until you wake up and see you can’t do this to yourself!” Tawnypelt hissed, “Look at you! You lay there like you’ve lost everything, yet I can see a camp full of cats that relay on you! Cats who care about you and Starclan knows our mother would have a damn fit if she saw you like this!”

“She’s gone!” Brambleclaw snapped, “What do I have to live for?”

“You have a long life to live you stupid fur ball! So you’re not their real father at least they grew up with a father in their life! What did we have?!”

“Tawnypelt please…” Brambleclaw hissed, “Just leave me alone.” He pleaded trying to curl up.

“Oh no, I’m not even started with you yet.” Tawnypelt snarled and grabbed Brambleclaw by the scruff and yanked him from the mossy bed. “You and I know what it is like to be without a father, what it means to lose that figure in our lives. Is that how you wanted Lionblaze and Jayfeather to grow up? Without a real father in their lives? Never knowing what it meant to have a father to look up to when they have trouble!?”

“Tawnypelt…”

“You and I were lied to as kits by our mother about our father being dead, we found out from Firestar, the one cat who hated our father the most the honest truth! Do you remember what she said when we asked why she’d lied to us? Why she’d told us he was dead?!”

“Shut-”

“She loved us too much to hurt us.” Tawnypelt hissed, “And you told her that you forgave her for those lies.” She added with a hiss as her claws extended out of her toes. She had to make him see sense and there was only one way to do that. “So tell me Brambleclaw, how do you justify forgiving one liar but not the other?”

“Don’t you dare-” Brambleclaw hissed.

“Did you really love her or was she just a play thing to get closer to Firestar?”

Jayfeather and Firestar stepped aside as Brambleclaw and Tawnypelt rolled out of the medicine cat’s den, a mess of fur and claws that moved with such speed it threw dust up until Brambleclaw pinned Tawnypelt on her back, claws digging into hers chest as anger burned in his eyes.

“How dare you insult me?!” he snarled, “I am not like our father!”

“Then stop behaving like you are!” Tawnypelt snarled back and with a swift strike of her paw had Brambleclaw shoved into the dirt while she stood on his shoulders. 

“Get off me!” Brambleclaw snarled.

“Not until you see sense!” Tawnypelt snarled back. “You pushed her away and yes you said hurtful things, all of Thunderclan did! But Starclan knows you never would have stayed away if you’d seen how hurt she was by it all! You aren’t the same as Tigerstar because you feel remorse and sorrow for what happened! He didn’t!!” she yowled at him. “He left our mother to raise us alone! He left us to die in a fire! To be eaten by dogs! He didn’t care about any of us. Not me, not you, not our mother! No cat meant more to him than himself!!” 

Brambleclaw was silent, unable to speak as tears slid down his face. “Listen to me Brambleclaw. Stupid fur ball.” Tawnypelt said and Brambleclaw went stiff again. “You loved her, Starclan above you still love her. But letting yourself die from some sickness like this isn’t going to take the pain away. Living with memories of the bad things will only make it worse! You’ll get so lost in the bad that you’ll end up in the Dark Forest with Hawkfrost and our father. You’ll never find her there… and she won’t find you.” 

“I did this to her...”

“You all did this to her.” Tawnypelt stated sharply. “But trust me when I say that ball of ginger fur, damn her to the stars and back, loved you to the end, heck she’s likely watching us from up there right now and yelling at you for being a stupid fur ball, like she did on our journey.”

“She has no reason to watch me… I hurt her…”

“And now you feel sorry for it, you regret it with all your heart and you blame yourself… You are so much like our mother, it’s painful to watch you do this to yourself. But listen to me, brother.” Tawnypelt said and laid beside him, nuzzling her muzzle into his shoulder. “She loves you, no matter how stupid or mean you were to her, she loves you, any cat with eyes and ears could see that back then and they can see it now. But letting the loss of her ruin your life isn’t what she would want.” 

“How do you know what she would want?” he hissed though there were fresh tears in his eyes.

“Because it’s not what I’d want and it’s not what Feathertail wanted for Crowfeather.” She told him. “I know it hurts, Brambleclaw, losing a cat you love is worse than losing a parent or a sibling because to you, that cat is the missing half of yourself you didn’t know was missing until you found them, but Starclan above this isn’t what she’d want, she’d want you to keep going, to prove to all the clans that you are nothing like our father and Hawkfrost… She’d want you to keep going and teach Lionblaze and Jayfeather how to be fathers themselves when they have kits, to find love again and enjoy life until you are too old to move.”

“And if I can’t?” Brambleclaw asked.

“Then you’re not the cat she fell in love with.” Tawnypelt stated and put her chin atop his head. “She loved you because you weren’t weighted down by the bad things in life that made our lives so harsh when we were kits… If you start living like that now, then her death means nothing.” She added and it broke the last bit of restrain Brambleclaw had been holding onto and he sobbed into her chest.

Brambleclaw laid there in the dirt for a long time, not caring who saw him crying as his sister comforted him, as she had all those moons ago when their mother had passed away of old age, the only other time Blackstar had allowed Tawnypelt away from camp without escort or orders to return by a set time.

It seemed so long ago now… 

Tawnypelt didn’t move from her place, even as the snow started to come down and Jayfeather brought the two leg pelt out to cover then both and keep them warm, she stayed with her brother as he cried and cried and cried.

She had done the same when they’d done this last, unable to speak for the tears that flooded her eyes as her mother lay dying before them, softly muttering that old lullaby she’d always hummed when they were kits.

Now Tawnypelt felt it was right to hum that same old tune, something about it seemed to help Brambleclaw calm down just a little bit as they lay together, a sister helping her brother in his time of weakness, No clan loyalties between them just the blood of siblings.

 

A flash of ginger close by made Tawnypelt look about to speak to Firestar the following morning when a single white paw caught her eye and she watched the starry pelted shecat lay with Brambleclaw, two small kits with her as she nuzzled head against his shoulder, the kits snuggling into his side.

“Thank you,” She said to Tawnypelt softly and the Shadowclan shecat nodded.

“Watch over him?”

“Until his last.” Squirrelflight nodded and gave Brambleclaw’s cheek a gentle lick. “Stupid fur ball’s gonna need some cat to watch his tail.”


	8. #8 Drabble. Singing! Brambleclaw, Singing! Hawkfrost and Singing! Stormfur. (Belle (is the only word I know)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Belle is the only word I know, from the Hunchback of Notre Dame.

#8 Drabble.  
Singing! Brambleclaw, Singing! Hawkfrost and Singing! Stormfur. (Belle (is the only word I know)  
Total Crack! No like? You know where the back switch is.

~“Belle, is the only word I know that suits her well, when she moves the stories she can tell. A free bird trying out her wings to fly away and when I see her move I see hell to pay,”~ Brambleclaw watched her with a smile as they walked together, enjoying the warm sun of green leaf as they wondered the territory without care, his tail loosely wrapped around hers as they moved. 

She smiled at him and rubbed her cheek against his before rushing past him, looking back with a challenging smile as he raced after her. ~“She has her paws with in my soul and sleep won't come and it's no use to pray these prayers to Stars above, tell, who'd be the first to raise his paw and swipe his claws. I'd have his hide and laugh to see him die alone.”~

He caught her with a half attempted pounce, sending them both rolling in the long grass for a moment until they came to a stop, her under him on her back, paws lightly pushing against his chest as he kept his heavier weight off her with steady paws. ~“Starclan above please let me keep her at my side and walk beside her ever more, my Squirrelflight.”~

Across the lake, Hawkfrost hissed under his breath and began his slow swim back to the island to try and clear his head after seeing his brother and mate together.

~“Belle, there's a creature inside her I crave as well and she’s turned my eyes from power and oh, I fell.”~ He hissed splashing the water with his claws out stretched, ~“She put this heat inside me I'm ashamed to tell. Without my father’s power I'm just a hallow shell!”~

He looked into the water and went wide eyes, seeing her image appear with him, pressed up against his side and moving under his chin, arching her back so she almost pushed him over with that sickly sweet smile on her muzzle. ~“The sin of heat she has in her I know so well, for want of her I know I'd give my soul to sell. Belle, this wretched girl is there a soul beneath her skin? Or does she bear the weight of all my deepest sin?”~

Hawkfrost leant forwards as if to press his nose to hers only for her to fade into the ripples again and leave him facing his own reflecting. ~“Oh Great father, please let me go beyond your law, let me claim her as my own, my Squirrelflight.”~

 

Away from the clans, another cat’s thoughts were on the ginger shecat, even as he sat watching his mate and kits play with feathers as they enjoyed a rare of day warm sunshine. ~“Belle. Even though her eyes seem to lead us through hell, she may be more pure, more pure than words can tell. But when she moves such feelings come no tom can quell, within her emerald coloured eyes, there burns the well.”~

Stormfur smiled and moved to looked at the sky a little better, hearing his kits cheer and laugh with their mother, ~“My beloved one, know that my heart belongs to you, before we met I dreamt of life with her and still I do.”~

~“Who would be the tom who'd turn from her to save his soul? To be with her I'd let the devil take me whole.”~ He sighed and moved to settled with his mate as she and his kits came inside, the kits tired from a long morning playing. ~“My dearest love, I am a cat who knows no law, I longed to climb her as my own, my Squirrelflight.”~

 

Brambleclaw sat outside camp that night looking to the moon with a smile. ~“She has her paws with in my soul and sleep won't come,”~

Hawkfrost paced in the reeds away from camp, angry with himself and his own imagination. ~“And it's no use to pray these prayers to Stars above, tell!”~

Stormfur nuzzles Brook and his kits softly in their nests, ~“Who'd be the first to raise his paw and swipe his claws?”~ 

~“I'd have his hide and laugh to see him die alone! Starclan above please let me keep her at my side and walk beside her ever more, my Squirrelflight.”~

Brambleclaw padded to his nest and curled around his mate, purring as she snuggled closer to him in her sleep.

Hawkfrost hissed and slumped into his den alone, though for some reason he could just make out the scent of the ginger shecat his brother laid with every night.

Stormfur looked out to the moon beyond the waterfall and smiled softly.

~“My Squirrelflight.”~


	9. #9 Snip. The cold bite of the River.

#9 Snip. The cold bite of the River.

Hawkfrost watched in some shock as a white cat swam in the lake, at first he’d thought it was Cloudtail of Thunderclan, but then realized that the cat was female and her fur was thicker and the shecats eyes were a soft yellow colour.

She was a former Riverclan cat who had been found when the clans arrived in the lake, and while Thunderclan, Windclan and even some Shadowclanners had welcomed her warmly, only Mistyfoot had rushed from Riverclan to greet the white shecat from Riverclan.

Hawkfrost had watched silently as the white cat had then padded to Leopardstar and greeted her with kind words but cold eyes. 

Since then, he had been juggling trying to get Mudclaw to listen to him while trying to find out more about this shecat. 

“Nice catch Snowfang.” Stormfur meowed as he, Mistyfoot, Leopardstar and Brook came to the lake side, stopping near a small pile of fish. “Yours?” he asked.

“You see anyone else swimming with me, Little Storm?” the shecat asked ducking under the water and surfacing again with another fish, before returning to the shore line, lightly bumping her head against his.

“You swim so well,” Brook said in awe, “Don’t you ever get scared of being dragged under?” she asked.

“The big mouthed fish in this lake stay at the bottom and they haven’t the speed to catch me.” Snowfang purred lightly head bumping the smaller shecat too.

“I will leave you to it.” Leopardstar nodded farewell to her patrol and padded off.

When she had left, Snowfang huffed and Mistyfoot sighed. “She’s trying to find the words to say sorry.” She told the white cat.

“Ha! She’s trying to find eth words to excuse her stupidity.” Snowfang hissed. “I will never forgive her for what she did.”

“What happened?” Brook meowed quietly.

“Leopardstar was warned joining with Tigerstar was a fool’s idea and still let him take over, that stupidity cost Stonefur and my mate their lives and almost drove the whole of Riverclan to dust.” Snowfang explained, “She then tried to justify their deaths and I killed her.”

“But…” Brook began only for Stormfur to hush her softly.

“It’s not a time we like to remember…” he said. “but it was shortly after that we faced Bloodclan, and I think a fair few cats in the clans realized that while our Leaders do have Nine lives, the right injury would cause enough internal and external injures to skill a cat nine times at once.”

“Tigerstar was stupid enough to let ambition blind him to the clear danger of Scourge posed, and he made the biggest mistake of his life thinking Bloodclan was easy to control.” Snowfang stated.

Hawkfrost looked at the water and spotted his father in the water beside him.

Tigerstar shook his head, “She isn’t afraid to kill a cat if they insult her, mind your words around her and do not let her talk you into a pit. She’s smarter than Leopardstar, faster than Onestar and unlike Firestar, she isn’t weakened by the Warrior Code.”

“I understand.” Hawkfrost nodded and stalked away.

 

He saw more of her over the following days, laid out in the sun, hunting, teaching kits to play new games, or just sat with Mistyfoot, Stormfur and Brook, her white fur seeming to glow in the sunlight as the four laughed and joked as if they were old friends. 

She was kind and gentle with every other cat in Riverclan, but she refused to speak with Leopardfur or look at him, likely she knew who is father was and because of that she was avoiding him, though she was kind and polite to Mothwing.

He watched as Snowfang treated Stormfur nd Brook like her own kits, helping to teach Brook how to pounce and stalk prey, never degrading or mocking the shecat as she tried to impress the clan cats.

He knew something about her was off, but he dared not to approach her until he knew what kind of cat she was when angered, remembering his father’s warning. This cat worried his father and he wanted to be sure he knew what he was getting into before he spoke to this shecat.


	10. #10 One-shot. A Breeze of Happiness.  Part 2.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The story version of the comic I have posted on Tumbler link -> http://lady-fenikkusu.tumblr.com/post/155528994772/an-alternate-universe-plot-i-have-in-my-head-for#notes

#10 One-shot. A Breeze of Happiness.   
Part 2.

Berrynose and Thornclaw were moving at a steady pace, checking the boarders and territory for any sign of intruders when they caught the scent of a Windclan cat coming from the lake, however before they could charge over, they heard a tiny meowl and crouched, creeping forwards to see Crowfeather by the lake side, a tiny black kit at his side as he lay under the shelter of a large bush, his tail covering the kit’s little boy from the chill of the morning dew.

Crowfeather spotted them and carefully lifted his head to nod at them, but gave no other movement as the kit wiggled and then grew still again.

Berrynose blinked in confusion before stepping out and speaking quietly so as not to wake the little kit. “What are you doing here?” 

“I came to speak with Firestar…” Crowfeather answered gently nuzzling Breezekit as the kit meowled in his sleep. “If he will hear what I have to say?” 

“How long has he been outside?” Thornclaw asked. “And when did he last have milk?”

“Since yesterday morning,” Crowfeather said, “And his last drink was around that time too.” He added.

“Why aren’t you both in Windclan?” Berrynose asked.

“That’s why I need to speak with Firestar.” Crowfeather sighed softly and watched Breezekit wiggled closer to his belly for warmth.

Berrynose and Thornclaw looked to each other and then back to the tiny kit, then Thornclaw noticed the small spats of blood under Crowfeather’s paws, clearly the Windclanner had been on his paws for a while and he looked ready to drop to sleep where he lay.

“Go back to Camp and tell Firestar I’m bringing them back with me.” The tabby tom told Berrynose and Crowfeather looked beyond relieved to hear those words. “Do you need help carrying him?” Thornclaw asked and Crowfeather shook his head gently lifting Breezekit up and carefully got to his paws, leaning slightly on Thornclaw as Berrynose hurried off.

 

Firestar was waiting for them outside the camp when they arrived, Sandstorm at his side. “Berrynose said you wanted to talk with me,” Firestar said, “But by the look of things, you need to sleep and he needs milk.” He added with a smile and Crowfeather nodded. 

“If you can spare any.”

Sandstorm smiled. “Squirrelflight has already offered,” She said and moved to help Crowfeather into the camp, “Come, you need rest and I am sure there is room in the Medicine Cat’s den.”

Crowfeather nodded in thanks, smiling as Breezekit woke slowly from his slumber and looked around. “Father? Where are we?” 

“Thunderclan camp.” Sandstorm smiled softly, “And what is your name little one?”

“I’m Breezekit, I’m Crowfeather’s Son.”

“Oh? And is he a fun father?” Sandstorm asked.

“Crowfeather?” 

Crowfeather looked up and almost collapsed when he saw Leafpool ahead of him with her sister, her eyes wide with worry and joy as she took a step towards him, only to stop as a tiny silver and tabby bumped into her paws. 

“Sorry,” The kit meowled and struggled to his paws again, his whiskers twitching as he tried to walk again.

“Careful Jaykit.” Leafpool purred softly.

“Come lay down and rest,” Sandstorm smiled, “I’m sure Leafpool and Squirrelflight can look after Breezekit until you wake up.” She added.

“He… He needs milk…” Crowfeather began to say only watch in relief as Squirrelflight lay down and gather the three other kits in the den to her belly, where the each began to paw and suckle for milk. 

“After you’ve rested,” Leafpool assured, “We need to talk about a lot of things but for now, rest.” She added smiling kindly at Breezekit, “Go little one, there is enough for you too.”

Breezekit looked at Crowfeather who smiled and nodded nudging him forwards lightly, watching in relief as the black shecat at Squirrelflight’s belly wiggled to one side to make room for Breezekit before she gently placed her tail over the four of them and purred softly.

Content his son was safe and that no cat would dare do him harm, Crowfeather was soon so deep in sleep he didn’t notice Leafpool moving around the den or as Breezekit and the other kits were taken out of the den and into the camp. 

Breezekit looked back to where his father was sleeping before following the other kits. “Where are we going?”

“We’re going to play in the Nursery,” the black shecat kit stated. “We aren’t allowed to play in the Medicine Cat’s den when Mother is busy. But we can play out here with Rainkit, Lakekit and Marigoldkit.”

“Who are you?” the silver tabby kit asked him and Breezekit blinked as the other tom gave him a little sniff. “You’re new here.”

“I’m Breezekit, who are you?” he asked back.

“I’m Jaykit, that’s my sister Hollykit and the other tom is Lionkit, my brother.” Jaykit explained before he stumbled on a twig and fall over, “Ow.”

“Careful there Jaykit,” A voice meowed as a large grey paw came down from behind Breezekit and very gently lifted Jaykit back to his own paws. “You’re den mates have been playing dig for prey again.”

“Thank you Ashfur.” Jaykit meowed.

Ashfur nodded then looked up, “Rainkit, Lakekit, come here at once.” He called and from the nursery two toms raced out, skidding to a stop before the gray tom. “You forgot to fill in one of your holes, Jaykit fell in, what do you say?”

“Sorry Jaykit,” the two said and ducked their heads.

Breezekit blinked, one of the toms was dark grey with bright green eyes, the other was pale grey with shinning blue eyes like the tom that had helped Jaykit back up.

“The light grey one is Lakekit, the other one is Rainkit.” Lionkit explained when he noticed Breezekit curious look. “Ashfur is their father and that shecat over there with the pale ginger fur is their mother, Foxwhisker.”

“Well, what do we have here?” another voice asked as a long tailed tom padded towards them, “I smell kits eager for a story.” He purred.

“Oh yes please Longtail! Please!” Hollykit meowed. “Tell us about the old forest! Please!”

“Come, we better take this to a warm sunny place, I’m sure Mousefur would like to hear the stories too.” The old tom purred and the kits followed after him.

“Aren’t you going with them?” Brambleclaw asked Breezekit as the little black tom looked around confused.

“Can I?” the kit asked.

“Of cause,” Brambleclaw nodded, “No cat can tell a kit no when it comes to Longtail’s stories and Mousefur knows a lot of fun games to play. I’m sure your father would like to hear about all the fun things you have done when he wakes up.”

Breezekit smiled and nodded, hurrying after the other kits with a happy bounce to his steps.

~~~

When Crowfeather woke, it was late in the afternoon, Leafpool was carefully tidying some herbs away while the kits were somewhere outside the den, he could hear them laughing and cheering as some cat told them a tale.

He smiled and looked at his paws, noticing that they had been cleaned and then wrapped in leaves and cobwebs and he could feel the soothing warmth of marigold juice on his paws.

“Awake at last,” Leafpool purred as she padded over to him, “How do you feel?”

“Better.” Crowfeather nodded, “I don’t know how to thank you, after everything I did… You ran away with me and lost the one cat who taught you all you know and then I walk away…”

Leafpool shook her head to silence him and laid down at his side. “You couldn’t have known things would work out this way, I didn’t even realize until after we’d said goodbye that I was… but then I heard you were mates with Nightcloud and I thought it would be best to stay away.” She admitted.

“I wish you hadn’t.” He sighed and looked towards where he could hear Breezekit laughing outside with the other kits. “All I thought was true turned out to be lies and some twisted game of a fox-hearted monster.” He said. “Breezekit isn’t mine… she used me just like she used every cat else… and now…”

“Firestar will be here soon,” Leafpool said, seeing his shoulders stiffen with anger as he spoke. “I can’t have you making those cuts to your paws worse with walking around so Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight are going to play with the kits while we talk… it will help her get over the loss.”

“Loss?” Crowfeather asked.

“She birthed two stillborn kits a few day ago. It’s why she’s in here with me now.” Leafpool said, “With my duty to the clan I can’t always keep an eye on our kits so, she helps me and I hope it helps her understand that she’s not without hope.”

“Our kits…?” Crowfeather asked in shock, his eyes wide and is ears high, “Those three kits are… Yours and mine…?”

“I took no other mate, but I can’t always feed them, my milk is drying up quickly with all these herbs and the stress of caring for sick and injured cats I just-” Leafpool gasped softly as Crowfeather leant against her heavily, his shoulders shaking as he tried to hold back the emotion. “Crowfeather?”

“I’m so sorry… I should never have left you… I was such a fool… if I had stayed I would have been here when you needed me.”

“You are here now.” Firestar’s voice stated as he and Sandstorm came in, Sandstorm carrying a plump thrush which she placed before Crowfeather and Leafpool while Firestar sat down. “Berrynose and Thornclaw told us you wanted to talk with me when they found you, and now you are rested and you have a meal, I hope you don’t mind if I ask why you have come to see me?”

“I came for Breezekit’s safety,” Crowfeather said, and told Firestar everything, from the arranged mate-ship with Nightcloud Onestar had pushed him into, the Catnip filled mouse that she’s used to trick him, the kits being born and then their terrible deaths, the conversation he’d had with his mother and then the news from Kestrelflight and Onestar and finally the confrontation of Nightcloud.

“She lied to the whole clan for so long and now that they know who his real father is… they will never accept him and I have no place there.” Crowfeather said, wiping his face with a paw after a few tears slipped down his cheek for Hazelkit and Mudkit.

“Nightcloud is a fool.” Leafpool hissed in fury. “Using a death berry… she has no right to even call herself a mother!”

“Mother?” A tiny voice called as a pair of green eyes peeked into the den, “My tummy feels funny.”

“That’s what happens when you run around so much and then stop for little while, Hollykit.” Brambleclaw’s voice purred as he ducked his head down into the den, “Jaykit and Hollykit are hungry, do you want Squirrelflight to feed them or are they ok to come in?”

“Bring them in.” Leafpool smiled and purred as her daughter lead her son into the den, soon followed by her other son and little Breezekit, “Did you have fun Lionkit?” She asked.

“Oh yes! Mousefur showed us this new game, you have to pick a cat in your mind and then try to copy what that cat does while others try to guess who you are! It was so much fun!” Lionkit purred pawing her whiskers as she nuzzled him. “Can we go see her again tomorrow? Please mother, please!”

“Maybe if you sleep when you are told and don’t try to sneak off to try and climb into Firestar’s den again young tom.” Leafpool smiled. “And what about you Breezekit, are you having fun?”

“Oh yes! I didn’t know trees could be so big! Or that cats can climb them, is it true you can find Bird nests with eggs in them? Can we really eat them?” Breezekit asked.

“Sometimes,” Leafpool smiled, “Are you hungry too?”

“A little…” Breezekit said, shuffling his paws a little.

Leafpool smiled, “Come, I have enough for all four of you.”

“Really?” Breezekit asked and Leafpool nodded.

“Lionkit, please make room for Breezekit.” She purred and Lionkit wiggled, making a space between him and Jaykit for Breezekit to wiggle in.

Firestar smiled, “It seems we have only one thing left to do.” He said standing and shaking his fur out Crowfeather watched with uncertainty as the ginger tom looked at the four kits at Leafpool’s belly then smiled and looked to them both. “When you’re paws are healed, we will have a proper welcoming for Crowfeather and Breezekit. In the mean time I will leave you to explain things to your kits.”

“Explain what Mother?” Hollykit asked.

Leafpool smiled and nuzzled her daughter, letting the four kits finish their milk before gathering them all close and telling them all about How she and Crowfeather had met and how they had come to love one another, by the end of the story, Lionkit and Jaykit were snuggled up beside Crowfeather’s side, asking sleepy question after question about what Windclan was like, why Crowfeather had stayed away and when they could learn how to run as fast as the wind, while Hollykit and Breezekit were given a bedtime wash by their parents. 

Crowfeather smiled with joy as he looked at each kit, later that night, Jaykit snuggled under Breezekit’s shin while Hollykit lay on her back against Breezekit’s side, Lionkit protectively curled around all three of his siblings, little claws twisting as he dreamed. 

They were perfect, healthy, loved and no matter what happened, he swore then and there that he would forever love and care for them all.


	11. #11. Snip Big brother Little brother.

#11. Snip Big brother Little brother.

Tawnypelt watched with a smile as Fogpaw held very still so Smallkit could balance on his back to reach the very top of the den roof with the leaves he was holding, carefully spreading it over the whole atop the Warrior’s den and placing down some cobwebs to hold it down. 

“Got it!” Smallkit meowed.

“Good, now the water will stay out.” Rowanclaw smiled.

“Can we go hunting?” Fogpaw asked after Smallkit slid off his back. “Or patrolling? I wanna see more of the territory please.” He added.

“Can I come with you? Please, please, please?” Smallkit asked.

“Hold still,” Fogpaw meowed and carefully smoothed down his brother’s slightly ruffled fur. “You get so untidy.”

“I’m gonna be a Warrior! Warriors get untidy when they go out,” Smallkit answer shaking his fur up again. “I like my fur messy, I hide better.” He added and then hid behind Tawnypelt and tried to mimic the hunting crouch. 

“No, you stick out like a broken twig.” Fogpaw stated playfully batting his brother’s tail. “And walk on every leaf and twig too.”

“Do not!” Smallkit meowed and jumped at his brother, sending them both into a playful roll.

Rowenclaw chuckled and moved to one side as Fogpaw rolled with Smallkit into the shallow puddle and then let Smallkit push him into the mess of old moss, only to be grabbed and pull in himself before the two went rolling again.

“Ahem.” Both toms stopped and looked towards the cough, Smallkit looking upside down at Blackstar as he tried not to smile at their behaviour. “I trust the repairs to the den are finished?” 

“Yes sir.” Fogpaw nodded and Smallkit nodded with him causing them both to bonk heads. “Ow.”

There was a sniggering sound and Blackstar tried to keep his face straight as Flamepaw was suddenly pounced on by Smallkit and Fogpaw.

He tried.

Tawnypelt could see the smile tugging his muzzle and the amused lash of his tail, Starclan forbid any cat saw Blackstar smiling at two none Shadowclan born kits and their antics around camp. Every time the two toms were together, Shadowclan cats saw just how careful Fogpaw was with his brother, protecting him from the gory details of battles in an attempt to spare him any further trauma that may hurt the small cat.

Nightmares had been a common issue, Smallkit had woken screaming for his mother when he had first started to sleep in the den with Swansong, those nightmares were less frequent now, but they left Smallkit shaking and often crying until Fogpaw had come and curled up around him and started to hum a small tune no cat recognized.

Whatever the tune was, it helped calm Smallkit down and sooth him back to sleep and so Swansong had asked Fogpaw to teach her the tune, in hope it would help when Fogpaw couldn’t be there.

It had been a lullaby their mother had sung for them when they were with her, something about a twinkling star that guided lost kitty back to safety and after her death, Fogpaw had continued to sing it for Smallkit to help him sleep when it was stormy at night or when Fogpaw carried his brother on his back to get around faster.

When asked why Fogpaw still tried to keep his brother safe even with so many cats to help Fogpaw had simply said. “A big brother always looks after his siblings, it’s their duty to protect them.”

Smallkit had then added. “And it is a little brother’s duty to make sure brother brothers don’t work too hard.” And proceeded to push his brother over into his nest and sit on him. “So go to sleep.”

Blackstar had taken what they had said and so far he had been careful not to keep the two apart for too long, not wanting them to worry too much about each other, but he knew soon, he would have to give Fogpaw more duty in the clan like the other Apprentices and that would mean Smallkit would be alone for longer.

It seemed cruel, but the Clan had to come first if Fogpaw and Smallkit were to become true Shadowclanners.


	12. #12 Snip. The Sad Raven.

#12 Snip. The Sad Raven.

“Well done Dustpaw!”  
“Masterfully done Sandpaw!”

Ravenpaw sighed as he listened to the praising cats from his place at the edge of camp, ignoring the growling sound from his stomach as he had for the past three moons, surviving on whatever scraps he could find and the odd mouse Greypaw could convince him to eat.

He didn’t care what the clan thought any more. All he’d heard his whole life was how much better Dustpaw was at everything, how unlike his brother he was and how useless he was. And So, Ravenpaw stopped trying to impress any cat and just went out day after day, bringing in prey for the pile, cleaning the Elders den in silence while they were out in the warm sun, bring Spottedleaf moss, cobwebs, herbs or even prey when she was busy with sick Kits or Warriors. 

Hearing paws approaching, Ravenpaw didn’t bother to look up, he knew it was likely one of the Elders or Warriors coming over, likely to scald him for not bringing home better pray like Dustpaw or Sandpaw had today so instead he lay still and waited for the sneering comments to start, ignoring the painful growl in his stomach once again.

A large squirrel was dropped in front of him. “Eat.”

“Sandpaw?” Ravenpaw asked in shock, shuffling back from the pray and shook his head, “I’m not hungry.”

“Don’t lie Stupid fur ball! You haven’t eaten anything all day and Whitestorm isn’t going to let me go hunting until you eat.” The she cat said nudging the prey towards him again. “So eat.”

“I’m not hungry.” Ravenpaw said again, shaking his head and shuffling further away from the prey, even though Sandpaw could hear the growling from his tummy.

“Why are you being stupid!?” Sandpaw snarled in anger, “Just eat the stupid prey so I can go hunting!”

“I said I’m not hungry!!” Ravenpaw snarled and struck out at Sandpaw, his paw catching her muzzle and making her wince in shock as Ravenpaw padded away from her.

“Where are you going?!” Dustpaw questioned.

“Away from here!” Ravenpaw snapped, shoving his way out of the Camp as Greypaw and Lionheart came back.

“Wha-Ravenpaw? What’s wrong?” The grey apprentice asked.

“Leave me alone!” Ravenpaw snapped and Greypaw stood shocked watching the black apprentice walk away.

He blinked then turned and marched towards Sandpaw and Dustpaw angrily. “What did you two do to him now!?”

While the Apprentices argued, Redtail caught Bluestar’s eye and with a subtle nod, the calico tom slipped out of camp to follow Ravenpaw.

He found the small Apprentice’s scent trail easily, heading towards the two leg fences and followed it swiftly as the scent got stronger, he noticed that the scent followed the fences and sky grew darker and darker until Starclan began to shine overhead, still Redtail followed the scent until he came to a small clearing where Ravenpaw’s scent was strongest and spotted the small shape of the Apprentice hiding under a tree root, it looked as if Ravenpaw had dug it out himself and was now using it to hide in.

Before Redtail could go to the Apprentice however, he heard Greypaw calling out and dropped into a crouch, watching as Greypaw pushed his way through the bushes and then hurried to the dugout hole and crotched, “Ravenpaw?”

“Leave me alone!” The black cat wailed, “Please, just leave… I don’t want anyone here…”

“I can’t leave you here,” Greypaw chuffed softly, “Bluestar will have my fur and then Lionheart would have me cleaning the Elders’ den out for moons.” He meowed trying to cheer up his friend but Ravenpaw only wailed more and Greypaw carefully wiggled under the tree with him. “Hey, come on Ravenpaw, don’t cry. Don’t cry.” He purred and Redtail heard the grey apprentice chattering to try and sooth Ravenpaw. “Please don’t cry Ravenpaw.”

“Why does everyone hate me?” Ravenpaw asked and Redtail quietly shuffled forwards, trying to see better without being seen himself.

“I don’t hate you,” Greypaw stated. “And Bluestar doesn’t hate you, nor do Lionheart or Redtail and I don’t think Spottedleaf has the ability to hate any cat.” He added.

“They don’t care!” Ravenpaw sniffled, as if he hadn’t heard a word Greypaw said, “No cat cares, all I hear every day is how useless I am, how weak and stupid and pathetic I am.”

“Who says that?” Greypaw asked, “I’ll scratch their ears off!”

“Every Cat!” Ravenpaw sobbed, “Dustpaw doesn’t like having a brother. He made that clear when we were made Apprentices,” he added though sniffles and sobs. “Mother was the only one who loved me…” he went on, unable to stop now he had started talking. “All I ever hear, every day, is how much every cat loves Dustpaw, because Dustpaw is strong and brave. I’m just a runt.” 

“You’re not a runt!” Greypaw protested.

“I’m the smallest Apprentice in the whole clan! I can’t do anything right! I can’t make any cat happy and my own Mentor hates that he has me to teach. No cat wants me here, not my father or even my own brother. Sandpaw keeps telling me I’m never going to be a Warrior, Dustpaw ignores the fact we are brothers and all I hear from the Elders and Queens and Senior Warriors is how weak and small I am, how little I bring back to feed the Clan, no matter what I do or catch it’s never enough, but Dustpaw can do everything…”

Redtail shook his head, how could Ravenpaw think this? How could any Apprentice have so low self-esteem? He did not move closer though, listening to every word Ravenpaw spoke between the sniffles and soft hiccups as he was comforted by Greypaw, he would have to report this to Bluestar.

On and on it went until Ravenpaw went quiet and Greypaw’s purring was all any cat would hear under the tree, “Why aren’t you eating Ravenpaw?” Greypaw asked quietly.

“Because no one wants me.” Ravenpaw said, “I’m never good enough for the clan, so why should the clan feed me?”

“But you’ve been catching for the clan,” Greypaw said. “I saw you bring in that rabbit a few sunrises back and the thrush this morning…”

“Not anymore.” Ravenpaw said, “I’m not going back to camp.” He added, “I’ll sleep here tonight and then leave… I’ll find somewhere else to live… somewhere away from every cat.”

“But, your place is here with us.” Greypaw said, “You can’t just leave... what will I tell Bluestar? Or Spottedleaf, You can’t just leave…”

“Why not? No cat wants me in the clan, Tigerclaw can have a new apprentice who can impress him, Dustpaw can go on telling everyone he is an only kit, Spottedleaf doesn’t have to worry about a weak cat getting hurt all the time and Bluestar’s clan isn’t dragged down by me.” Ravenpaw said. “Go back to camp Greypaw, just tell them you saw me go under in the river near the falls. No one will care.”

“I care!” Greypaw meowed, “I care a lot! Please Ravenpaw come back with me.”

“No.” Ravenpaw said, “Just leave me alone.” He said again.

“No,” Greypaw shook his head, “I’m not leaving you alone, Ravenpaw, I’m staying with you,” he said. “I can’t change your mind about leaving but you’re not going off without knowing some cat will miss you,” He added.

Redtail managed to peek inside the dugout den and felt his heart ache as the scene, Ravenpaw looked so small and so thin against Greypaw’s plump and well fed body, the black apprentice shivering even as Greyfur gently groomed his fur and curled himself around the smaller tom, trying to keep him warm.

Quietly he crept away and hurried back to Camp.

 

When Bluestar arrived the following morning with Redtail, Lionheart and Spottedleaf, Ravenpaw and Greypaw were gone.


	13. #13 Snip. The Deal.

#13 Snip. The Deal.

Hawkfrost sat quietly at the edge of the gathering, seeing a flash of white fur he watched Snowfang climb out of the water and padded to Sandstorm and her daughters as they waited for Windclan to arrive for the gathering. 

Leopardstar was sat in the tree with Firestar and Blackstar and Hawkfrost couldn’t help but strain his ears to hear what the white she cat was saying. He had learnt small things about her so far, he knew she wasn’t named Snowfang by Leopardstar, it was a name she had given herself after an incident in the old Forest, something about Stonefur, Mistyfoot’s brother and an incident with Feathertail and Stormfur when they were kits and the loss of Snowfang’s then mate, Icefang.

“Were you in the battle against Blood Clan?” Leafpool asked.

“I was.” Snowfang nodded. “I was Snowpelt back then.”

“Why’d you change your name?” Squirrelflight asked.

“To honour my mate… and remind Leopardstar that she lost a life to my fangs.” Snowfang said, “But that is not something you two need to hear now.” She added as Onestar arrived with his clan.

“Will you tell us what happened someday?” Leafpool asked.

“One day.” Snowfang nodded. “But not today,” she added then looked up as the gathering began.

Hawkfrost listened with half an ear to the gathering, keeping an eye on Snowfang as she moved to sit amongst the clans, she was easy to spot he had been watching her for so long and noticed she paid very little attention to what Leopardstar had to say but she listened carefully to what Onestar and Firestar had to say.

When Blackstar began to speak, Hawkfrost noticed that the Shadowclan leader was also looking at Snowfang, though the Shadowclan leader seemed to be making sure she didn’t leave his sight as he spoke. 

Was there something between the two of them?

When the gathering was over, Blackstar waved Snowfang over with his tail and she padded over, listening to what the old tom had to say before shaking her head, Hawkfrost tilted his ears to catch what was being said.

“I have no need to take your prey, the lake feeds me well and the only thing worth taking in Shadowclan territory is a few scraps of moss.” Snowfang told him, “If you’d like, I can show you where I gather from the Pine forest and you can check for yourself.” She added.

“It would clear up the issue I think, some of the younger cats haven’t had the chance to learn of you and the agreement you have with the clans.” Blackstar stated.

“Have you told them the reason for that agreement?” Snowfang asked and Blackstar shook his head, “Why am I not surprised?” She huffed, “Fine, keep your silence, it won’t do any good for you telling them now.” She added turning away, “I’ll stop by the boarders of Shadowclan and Riverclan tomorrow at Sunhigh.”

Hawkfrost watched her leave the gathering, following her usually path between Shadowclan and Riverclan territory to her own little area. 

 

Sunhigh came and Hawkfrost watched as Snowfang lazed in the sun at the border to Shadowclan territory, lapping at the shallow waters of the stream as she waited for Shadowclan’s Patrol to arrive.

Blackstar arrived with his deputy and two young Apprentices Hawkfrost couldn’t name, and Snowfang dipped his head in greeting. “Took your time.” She said.

“We have to pick cats who wouldn’t want to kill you on sight.” Blackstar said.

“Try to kill me.” Snowfang corrected. “Now what is the issue?” She asked.

“Some cat has been stealing prey from our territory.” Rowanclaw stated. 

“Oh? And what makes you think I’m the one stealing? I have the fish in the river and when the fish become short in leaf bare I can catch voles, mice and birds.” She stated.

“But you do come into our territory.” One of the Apprentices stated.

“To gather moss and bedding for my den.” Snowfang nodded, “I can show you where I collect it from if you like?”

“Please,” Blackstar nodded and stepped aside to invite her across the stream.

Hawkfrost watched her pad over and then lead the patrol deep into the pine forest and then turned and left to report to Leopardstar.

 

“I am aware she has been going into Shadowclan territory.”

“Why didn’t you stop her?” Hawkfrost asked, “She could start a battle!”

“Blackstar wouldn’t start a battle over Snowfang’s trips into his territory.” Leopardstar shook her head. “He has a deal with her that stems back moons.” She added. “He has no issue with her and thus, no issue with us.” 

“What deal? And why haven’t you told me anything about her?” Hawkfrost asked.

Leopardstar sighed. “I suppose you deserve to know.” She meowed and Hawkfrost sat down to listen.

“As you know by now, Snowfang was once a Riverclan cat, she’s a pure Riverclan as you can get, but her mother was stolen by the twolegs before she was born, when she returned to the clan, Crookedstar took her back in and she trained under Oakheart for a time then me, when Crookedstar died, Snowfang had only recently been named a warrior, Snowpelt, and she was helping to care for Silverstream and Greystripe’s two kits, Stormfur and Feathertail with Mosspelt, Mistyfoot and Stonefur. At the time, she had her own mate, Icefang.” Leopardstar sighed. “When I took over, I was angry with Greystripe and I let that anger blind me to the advice Snowfang gave me, and that led to the deaths of Stonefur and Icefang, both of who stood against Tigerstar and Blackstar who at the time was deputy to Shadowclan. When Snowfang returned from her hunt to find her mate and one of her best friends dead she turned on Blackstar and left him with several scars and she would have killed Tigerstar. I tried to step in the way and calm her, but it proved to be the one mistake all of Riverclan came to see and a just punishment.”

“What do you mean?” Hawkfrost asked.

“Come closer and see my neck.” Leopardstar commanded and sat up to show her neck, Hawkfrost obeyed and lightly pressed a paw to the Leader’s neck and quickly pulled back in shock. 

The skin beneath the shecat’s fur was rough and rippled with a bite scar.

“She…”

“Snowfang ripped my neck open and left your father with a few injuries of his own. But when I awoke I couldn’t bring myself to side with Tigerstar and have her killed in return, Many Riverclan cats had arrived, kits and Apprentices alike and they stood against Tigerstar, Snowfang swore to Starclan that night that she would never again stand with me and changed her name from Snowpelt to Snowfang. She left Riverclan and lived in an area between Shadowclan and Riverclan. She was there for the battle against Bloodclan, but after that, she left the forest and we thought she was dead until we arrived here.”

“But why won’t Blackstar attack?” Hawkfrost asked.

“Blackstar saw what Snowfang did to me and what she did to Tigerstar, and when he was named leader, he struck a deal with Snowfang that he would allow her to take supplied from Shadowclan but not prey, if she would allow him to seek her out for advice in times of need.” Leopardstar explained, “Firestar and Tallstar made the same deal, so I wouldn’t be shocked if at the next gathering Onestar makes a statement about soft moss or heather.”

“They invite her into their territories?” Hawkfrost asked in bewilderment.

“I go where I please.” Snowfang stared and Hawkfrost turned in shock as the white shecat came in to the den. “And if you don’t stop having Hawkfrost follow me around I will start clawing him.” She added.

“I haven’t asked him to follow you,” Leopardstar stated looking at Hawkfrost.

“Then let’s hear what reason you have to follow me around, Son of Tigerstar.” Snowfang stated and Hawkfrost shuffled on his paws.

“I… I was curious… you are the first cat I know to do what you do and not seem to care for the safety of the clans…”

“Then you should have had the guts to speak with me yourself. Not hide like a kit trying to avoid his mother after staying out all night.” Snowfang told him. “If I catch you again, I will hurt you. Consider that your one and only warning.” She added and left the den.


	14. # 14. Snip. A Loyal Friend.

# 14. Snip. A Loyal Friend.

Every cat watched in horror and uncertainty as Spottedleaf and Yellowfang worked swiftly in the sunlight. 

Just after Sunhigh Firepaw had burst into camp, panicked like he’d been chased by a fox all the way from Four Trees, carrying Ravenpaw on his back, the young apprentices covered in a black yuck that smelled foul and made the kits scurry to their mothers for safety as Firepaw searched the camp for Spottedleaf calling for her help as if the Apprentice were on his death nest.

Whitestorm had rushed in after him, looking no better and covered in thorns, burrs and nettle leaves as he skidded to a stop, his legs shaking and his chest heaving as he collapsed at Bluestar’s paws, unhurt but out of breath.

The black Apprentice now laid in mud, Spottedleaf, Yellowfang and Firepaw, working swiftly to cover him in more mud as he lay shaking and trembling violently with a foul smell of something no cat could name clinging to his fur, he was wiggling and writhing in agony as if he was burning, Firepaw chattering and purring softly, trying to sooth the worried apprentice as he also got covered in mud. Trying to wash the foul smell from Ravenpaw’s fur with the mud and wet moss while Spottedleaf mixed and chewed herbs for Ravenpaw to try and eat. 

A difficult task made even harder as Firepaw had told Ravenpaw not to open his eyes at all, to prevent the stuff he was covered in getting into his eyes.

Ravenpaw tried to stand, but his legs gave out and he fell back to the ground, “I’m gonna throw up.” He managed to meow and Firepaw moved under his friend, quickly lifting the smaller apprentice onto his back with Yellowfang’s help and quickly carried him out of camp, right under Tigerclaw and to the shelter of some long grass, barely making it in time before his friends body convulsed and Ravenpaw threw up a nasty mix of prey, yucky stuff and herbs, before going very still and moaning in pain.

“What happened to him?” Lionheart asked.

“I was teaching them how to stalk birds near the twoleg place when we heard a loud growl and I told them to hide, then a twoleg threw something over the fence and it fell over Ravenpaw.” Whitestorm explained, pacing back and forth as he tried to see Ravenpaw better. “Firepaw got to him first and told him to keep his head bent down and his eyes shut, then he lifted him up and brought him back here.”

“I’ve seen this stuff before,” Firepaw explained as he carried Ravenpaw back to the Medicine Cats and the mud, going right back to covering himself an Ravenpaw in mud. “Twolegs use to it make their grass monster run so they can kill plants they don’t want in their gardens and keep the grass short.”

“Why would they throw it into the forest grass outside their homes?” Whitestorm asked. 

“I don’t know. Some Twolegs are just dumb, they dump everything they don’t want on the streets or where they think no one else will see it. But this stuff it really deadly to any kind of animal, I heard from other cats in the area that one poured some into a bird bath in their garden and all the birds that used it died.”

“Will Ravenpaw be ok?” Greypaw asked. “Why the mud?”

“To stop the stuff burning his skin so much his fur falls out.” Firepaw said, “Smudge had a sister who got covered in this stuff by accident, my mother covered her in mud and dirt and made her stay still with her eyes close and head bent down for a while, then the twolegs washed her, some fur on her stomach fell off and on her tail, but it grew back after a few days.”

“What about you?” Greypaw asked, realizing Firepaw wasn’t covering his own back, where some of the yuck had splashed him.

“Ravenpaw has it worse them me.”

“We’ll help!” Swiftkit meowed suddenly and before anyone could stop him, he jumped with all his might into the mud and splashed Firepaw’s back with mud, moments later, Brightkit and Cinderkit joined in, using their paws to fling mud at Firepaw’s back.

“Not at us!” Tigerclaw hissed softly backing up as he nearly got mud on his fur.

“Better join them Whitestorm.” Bluestar said. “Just to be sure.” She added.

Whitestorm smiled. “Any kit want to help me?” He purred softly and was suddenly splatted with mud and dirt as the kits moved on to help covering him from nose to tail, while Greypaw helped Firepaw cover his back.


	15. #15. One-shot. A Kit of the River

#15. One-shot. A Kit of the River

Snowkit sighed and shock herself a little, sniffing around the bins and litter for anything that at least looked like she could eat it. Another day, another five failed attempts to catch food and she was still clueless about how to get out of this maze of alleyways and side streets and get to the forest her mother had been stolen from.

She wasn't looking to well for her age at all. At four moons she should have been much bigger and her stomach should be full of milk and just starting to eat prey, not Twoleg junk and scraps. She was a skinny white pelted kitten with short fur, slightly mattered and dirty with yellowing eyes, a pink collar about her neck with a bell attached to it, the only thing that she couldn’t get rid of since she couldn’t bite through it even though it was ruffled and scuffed in places where she had tried to bite it off.

She caught sight of movement and looked to see a large rat sniffing the bin bags and trash, paying no attention to her at all. 

She smiled and crouched low, thankfully her bell didn't chime as she crept just a little closer, then she moved to pounce, she almost caught the rat, but her paws slipped on the bin bags and the rodent got away, leaving her in a heap of white fur.

She sighed, picking herself up and started licking her paw and wiping her ears and face with it and groomed herself, then with her head low and a hungry growl from her tummy she headed towards the edge of the ally that opened out on to the side walk and started searching for a place to sleep.

She had no idea she was being watched.

Rascal, a young American Shorthair tom had spent the past six moons wandering between the forest and the back alleys between human homes. He was a free spirit, a cat who followed no one's rules and accepted no one's charity. That's not to say that he was a bad cat. He simply preferred to not be bound to traditions or laws or twoleg rules.

Tonight, he’d intended on rummaging through the dumpsters for some tuna or perhaps some chicken scraps, ordinarily he was content to hunt in the forest for prey, but he always had to be careful going there due to the clan cats that lived there and so instead, he had moved into the twoleg place for food.

It was then that he had noticed the little white kit, much younger then himself trying to hunt for herself as many little orphans did in this area. He'd seen her a few times before, but never stopped to talk to her, she was merely one face among many in this alley, one sadder story of Twoleg cruelty.

He huffed softly and picked up a kill he’d made already, a large pigeon that had foolishly swooped into his reach, and padded after the kit, keeping back far enough not to disturb or scare her, allowing her to lead him toward the edge of the alley.

Snowkit took one last look around the alleyway and then sighed, going low and wiggling through a gap and into a small patch of grass and then underneath a large two leg nest, into a small sheltered place that smelt warmer then outside and would be a good place to sleep for the night. 

She wished she knew the way to the forest from this place, once she got there she could try nd find her way to Riverclan and her Father. She knew that all four were reluctant to take kittens from the human places into their clans, they hated them and the Shadowclan would, if her mother's words were true, kill her on sight if she went in to their territory alone, but she had to get back to her clan, she’d promised her mother she would go home.

She sighed and started digging for something to eat in a nearby trash bag, pulling out a pitiful amount of scarp meats and bones, hardly enough to keep her going for long...

Rascal paused, watching as the younger kitten disappeared through the gap in the fence. Why was she moving so much closer to the twoleg nests? Had he been wrong? He sighed and leaped up onto a nearby dumpster and from there to the top of the fence. For a moment the tom observed Snowkit searching the twoleg rubbish for food and he tried to decide whether or not to simply take his kill and leave.

Finally however, he shook his head, seeing the pitiful amount of food she found and hearing the growing of her stomach, he opened his mouth and let the dead pigeon fall to the ground next to the kitten. "You can have some of this," He meowed as he laid down on the fence, lashing his tail back and forth a few times. "I'd have eaten it myself but from the looks of things I'm a lot more capable of catching my own food than you are."

Snowkit nearly jump half a foot into the air hearing him, she'd not heard him coming and she'd no idea how long he'd been there, but the sight of the pigeon and the painful hunger in her tummy took over her instants and she started eating.

Once she'd had a few mouth fulls and her tummy got to work digesting what she had eaten she managed to remember her manners. "I thought Toms' never shared or gave food up. None of the other's around here do. Who are you? And how did you find me?" She asked starting to tear more meat off the pigeon as if it was the first real meal she'd had in moons...

Rascal flicked his tail as he watched Snowkit eat. He could tell she was hungry. He'd seen other cats eat fast before, but she was the first one to- pardon the expression- wolf down her food. His ears perked at her words. "Yeah well... I'm not really the sharing type," he admitted, "But you looked pathetic enough, I decided to make an exception."

He stood up again and stretched his back out, allowing himself a yawn while his front claws raked through the slightly-mossy wood of the fence. "I don't really have a name," he continued, "But if you want, you can call me Rascal. It's the nicest name I have and just about the only one not given to me by a twoleg." He laid back down, muttering something about "damnable two-legs," but the rest of it, it was unlikely to reach Snowkit's ears. Whatever his commentary, it was clear he did not think too highly of two legs.

Snowkit chose not to be offended by the pathetic comment, partly because she knew he was right. "I'm Snowkit, at least that’s what my mother called me." She introduced and after the last few mouth fulls she sat back and licked her lips, savouring the feeling of being full and having real food at last. "Did the twolegs take you from your mother too?" she asked.

That was what happened to her, so she guessed it might be what happened to him after all, from what she could see, he had no scars, so he couldn't have been kicked out by his own kin.

"Snowkit, huh?" Rascal shrugged and laid his head back atop his paws, curling his tail around his flank. "Nah, I didn't get taken from anyone," he meowed, "Twolegs threw me out of their nest just because I was being a cat, you know, marking territory, sharpening my claws, following all those finely-honed instincts. Not that I mind honestly. I've gotten on alright, learned to fight, made some connections in the Forest Clans and obviously I've had longer to learn to hunt."

Hearing he knew about the clan, Snowkit looked up at him. "You know about the clans? Then you must know a way to the forest. Can you show me the way? Please?" she started saying, now padding left and right under him, looking up at him.

Rascal's ears perked. “Why do you want to go to the forest?” he asked.

“I am a clan cat! My mother was taken away from her clan. I have to get back there! Please, you have to show me the way.”

This soft little kitten was a Clan Cat? He stood up and looked down at her, for a moment letting his eyes wander over Snowkit's frail body. She'd never make it one week out there! Clan origins or not, there was no way she'd be accepted now, but could he really deny at least helping her find her way into the forest? 

Finally, Rascal sighed and shook his head. "I'll help you," he meowed, "I don't know why any cat would want to give up their independence to follow some antiquated code, but if that's really what you want..." He turned and gracefully leaped down to stand next to the younger kitten. "But if you intend on checking out the clans, I'm coming along. You've got kitty-pet written all over you and even though the Clans don't trust loners like me, they at least leave us alone for the most part. Besides... someone's got to make sure you stay fed."

Snowkit's smile, if possible, would have reached right back to her ears hearing he'd help her. "Thank you Rascal you have no idea how grateful I am for this." she said and would have jumped up and playfully tackled him had her body had the kind of energy, so instead she settled for a friendly nuzzle.

A brief, happy purr escaped Rascal's muzzle when Snowkit nuzzled him, but he quickly backed off. "Yeah well be grateful, when we figure out where you belong and if you're accepted," he meowed. "It'd be best if we get started tonight. I'd really not care to be caught so close to the twoleg place when the sun rises. It's bad enough dealing with pets, but when you throw in dogs, twoleg kits and then the twolegs themselves... no thanks." He turned and crept through the hole in the fence and once on the other side, he would wait for Snowkit to join him before making his way from the alley.

Snowkit nodded and followed him. 

~~~

It wasn't long before the two kits had managed to put the nests behind them. Rascal carrying Snowkit on his back as they reached the larger fences and to get over the thunderpath.

"So, do you have any idea about what Clan you’re from?" He questioned, "ThunderClan is closest, so you might run into them first. Their leader, Bluestar, is one of the more tolerant cats in the forest."

She followed him through the yard and the fence. "Mother said he was Riverclan." she admitted, then wrinkled her nose a little, trying to remember more through the tiredness that was trying to claim her. “Do you know where that is?” she asked.

Rascal didn't say anything for a moment. As soon as he was sure it was safe, he carried Snowkit across the road. By now the lights of the human nests and the stinging scent of tar associated with the thunderpath was behind them. “I do, but we’ll not get there tonight.” He said.

He then opened his mouth slightly, taking in the sweet scents of prey and various herbs around him. There was also another scent, faint but he recognized it. "Graykit?" he wondered.

Snowkit sniffed a little, everything in the forest was a new smell to her, she had little idea what the plants were but the smelt very different to the ones in the human yards. "Who's Graykit?" she asked.

Rascal's eyes flicked around the forest, but everything was still. As late in the evening as it was, he supposed he should not have been surprised. "Graykit is one of the ThunderClan kittens," he explained, "He's just a bit younger than you are, I think. From what I know, he's supposed to be apprenticed soon, but he's got a bit of an irresponsible streak, often sneaks out without anyone knowing. Don't get any funny ideas though. He's as mean and territorial as the rest of the clans." 

He turned and headed east until the scent faded a bit more. "We'll needs to find someplace to stay tonight without going too deep into ThunderClan territory, or crossing into RiverClan territory. In the morning, we'll start looking for your father."

“How do you know where one clan's territory ends and another begins?" She asked a little confused, all she knew was that the four clans shared the forest and had territories, she always thought that Shadowclan had a place that was always dark and not very pleasant to be in and Windclan a place that was open and free, Thunderclan somewhere dense and heavily populated with pray and Riverclan somewhere damp and close to a river.

She never really thought about how you knew one clan's territory from the other.

Rascal craned his neck, directing Snowkit toward the bush. It would likely provide the most shelter. "Kits get into trouble all the time," he said, "It's what we do. The clans are understanding of their own." A smile twisted at his muzzle, and the tip of his tail twitched. "You really haven't been outside the two leg place before, have you? The Clans mark their territories the same way every other creature does, with scent. They patrol their borders daily and make sure the markings are renewed. That's why I figure the best bet of encountering one of them would be just outside the borders, but you should let me do the talking. They don't respect kitty-pets."

Snowkit shock her head. "Never, I've been in one of those twoleg places with the metal things, but never into a real forest." she admitted. "But how am I a kitty-pet? I have no twoleg, I live out on the streets and the other cats say that I'm an ally or stray cat and that it’s different then a kitty-pet, they get food and warmth the easy way, whereas strays and alley cats have to find it themselves..."

It was a little confusing to her, but then again, so were a lot of things.

Rascal shook his head. "It's not about your life situation," he meowed, "It's how the clans will view you. You're thin, soft, and you're wearing that thing around your neck. Any Clan Cat that came across you would immediately say you're a kitty-pet. You're going to have a lot of work to do to prove yourself, no matter who your parents are." 

He took a deep breath, only to pause. His ears focused ahead and he opened his mouth to scent the air. "Smells like ThunderClan," he said, "One of their patrols must be on the way."

Snowkit listened and hearing that Thunderclan was close, she moved closer to him. She knew better then to wonder too far from someone who knew more about the forest than she did, it was safer for her to do as he said.

She was scared, but knew that if she let fear control her, she'd never prove herself as a clan cat.

Rascal sniffed, trying to see if he could get an idea of who was approaching, but unfortunately, the scent was unfamiliar beyond what he knew to be ThunderClan scent. "Just keep close," he said. He lowered his tail and moved forward. His racing heart sent blood pounding noisily through his ears. It had been nearly a moon since he'd interacted with any Clan and then it had been a matter of argument about his fishing from the river. 

Suddenly Rascal stopped. There, racing toward the two kittens was an unfamiliar pair of cats. Rascal narrowed his eyes, but was unable to recognize them. The larger of the two was a large brown tom with dark black stripes running the length of his body. Following him was a much smaller tom was pale with black stripes down his body.

The older tom's ears pinned against the back of his head and his lip curled as he hissed at the kittens. Rascal immediately responded, lowering himself into a submissive position on the ground. The tom came to a stop. "The two of you are intruding on ThunderClan territory!" he declared, "Identify yourselves, quickly." 

"I-I'm Rascal, sir," the kitten answered, showing his age for the first time since Snowkit had met him, "A loner and this is Snowkit. Sh-she's searching for her father."

The older tom seemed to relax at his answer and the tom next to him did the same. "I am Tigerclaw of ThunderClan," he meowed, "And this is Longtail." Tigerclaw turned his gaze toward Snowkit. "And how is it that a kitty-pet comes to our part of the forest looking for her father?"

Snowkit had made herself as small as she could, which given her small size was tiny, ears low and tail tucked tightly against her while the larger tom spoke, then swallowed a lump in her throat and spoke. “My mother said that some moons ago the Twolegs came into the forest and took Clan cats from their Camps and patrols with thick spider webs and shining wires. Queens, Elders, Newborns and even Apprentices and Warriors were taken by them, many of the Queens were due to give birth to their kits.”

Tigerclaw’s head ducked and he gave a deep growl that scared Snowkit. “I recall the days,” he said and turned to Longtail. "I will go back to camp and fetch Redtail and Bluestar. You stay here and watch them."

Longtail nodded and while Tigerclaw quickly sped back toward the ThunderClan camp, he would keep watch over the kits and the elder. He didn't suspect they were spies from the other clans, Rascal at least he had seen around from time to time, but he didn't trust them either and there was no way the young warrior would risk Bluestar's safety.

Rascal seemed to return to himself now that everything was calmed down. He listened to the story the little she cat shared and shook his head. "Chalk it up to one more Twoleg-caused tragedy," he mumbled, "It's a wonder more cats aren't coming to the forest to become loners or become part of the Clans."

"Clan life is not for every cat," Longtail meowed, "It is difficult and there are some kitty-pets who are more comfortable living in their two-leg nests. They pay a heavy price and in exchange, they get to eat brown, flavourless pellets, grow fat and generally forget what it means to be a cat."

Snowkit listened to Longtail and wrinkled her nose again. "That's their choice, not mine... If they want to stay and be pets they can but I wanna find my father and my clan." She said. "Even if I don't get accepted into the clan, I'll at least know who my father is and get to see him at least once in my life."

Rascal shook his head, still not able to understand why any cat would want to live in the restrictive clan structure, but he didn't voice it. 

Longtail didn't seem impressed by Snowkit's vow. "Once a kitty-pet, always a kitty-pet," he meowed. 

"She's not a kitty-pet!" Rascal hissed, "I lived with two-legs longer than she did! At least she has clan blood! She's soft now, but just watch! She'll make a great Warrior!"

Snowkit's tail twitched. Why was Longtail so sure she'd never make it in the forest? Had he some inherent knowledge of the streets in the human place? Had he once been a pet? She suddenly felt as if something deep inside her needed to said, so she swallowed her fear and spoke. 

"Why are you so certain I'll never make it out here? Have you had some secret message from Starclan telling you?" She asked standing up, even though she was small and no threat to the Clan cat, she wasn’t going to back down. "You may know a little about the life of a kitty-pet, but you know nothing of the life of a Stray. You don't know how I lived before I came here, you haven't seen the way a stray has to live just to survive without help from a clan or humans. You only know the life you have and the life the kittypets have and there is a big difference between pets and strays. So you have no place to say or judge who am." Snowkit said.

Longtail's ears flattened. He stood up and moved toward the kittens, glaring down at the both of them. Apparently, he didn't appreciate anyone speaking up to him in such a manner. "I'll tell you why you would never make it," he growled, "Look at yourself. You're thin... skin and bones, so you obviously can't hunt. You'd never be able to contribute to any clan's freshkill pile, let alone survive bare leaf without some two-leg to give you scraps from their garbage. You have no scars, so you obviously haven't been in very many fights... not against anything the forest would throw at you. I've met 'strays,' kitten. And most of them are just kitty-pets who are between two-leg nests. And that's not something you can change just because you want to." 

"I'll be the judge of that, Longtail," meowed a voice, "Thank you." 

Rascal's ears perked up as he looked up to see who had spoken. Approaching the group was a beautiful she-cat with her gray-blue fur and striking blue eyes, Bluestar fit her name well. Her body was lean as all forest cats, but strong and though she bore no visible scars, she emanated an aura of power and her voice spoke with assurance. Rascal had seen her before, but never had he been so close to the ThunderClan leader. 

Behind her walked another tom, this one slightly larger than Bluestar, with primarily white fur and black, gray, and orange patches over the length of his body. What stood out most about him, however, was his long tail, completely covered in red fur. "Tigerclaw is waiting for you back at the trail, Longtail, g and finish your patrol with him." He said, "Bluestar and I will handle things from here." 

Longtail slowly nodded and turned back toward camp, but not before giving the kittens’ one more disgusted look. 

Bluestar sighed before turning her attention to the kittens. Her gaze was stern, but not in the cruel way Longtail's had been. "I am Bluestar," she meowed, "Which one of you is Clan blood?"

Snowkit's ears once again dropped low and her tail curled closer to her again, but this time it was a respectful gesture, not a frightened one. "I-I am..." She answered, thankful that her voice hadn't gone up in pitch like a mouse.

Bluestar leaned down a moment, sniffing at the little kitten who had spoken. "Well, I certainly don't detect any two-leg scent on you," she meowed, "And you have spirit. I haven't heard anyone aside from Redtail or Tigerclaw speak to Longtail like that in quite some time. Why don't you tell me your story, little one? From the start to all you know."

Snowkit didn't move as Bluestar sniffed her, but she did smile a little at her comment about having spirit. It was nice to have some cat besides Rascal being nice to her. 

"I don't remember much of what happened.” Snowkit said, “My mother always told me about the forest and the clans, she told me I wasn’t meant to be in the twoleg place that the twolegs had stolen her and many others from the forest and their clans. She told me I belonged to Riverclan, but before she could tell me how to get back to the forest from the twoleg place, the twolegs took me away from her." her nose wrinkling a little a she remembered. “Since then I've looked for a way to come here and find my way to my clan, but I got lost a lot. Then Rascal found me and said he'd help me find my father and the clan I was meant to be in." she ended her story.

Bluestar seemed to take everything in, her ears perked as she listened intently to the story. When Snowkit finished, Rascal spoke up. "She's been living off two-leg rats and trash scraps," he explained, "I figured that even if Clan life isn't for me, it had to be better than what she was going through.”

Bluestar nodded slowly. "Unfortunately my dear kit, I am unsure if you will find your father in Riverclan," she meowed regretfully, "We suffered the same as everyone else in the two-leg raids some time ago and when so few Queens and kits came back with Warriors and Elders, many cats lost the will to live and fell ill. Now they hunt with Starclan.” She explained “But know that if your search comes in vain, you will always be welcome. Thunderclan will not turn any willing cat away, so long as I am leader."

Snowkit's ears drooped down a little more, but she nodded understanding. There was still a chance her father was there, so she still had something to hope for. "Thank you, Bluestar."

Bluestar leaned down, licking affectionately between the kitten's ears. "Don't worry," she mewed, "You'll find your clan soon, Starclan will guide you." She looked up, turning to her deputy. "Redtail, head back and tell Spottedleaf to make up a nest for them, they may stay in our camp tonight and in the morning, you will see them safely as far as Sunningrocks," she ordered.

Redtail nodded and hurried off while Snowkit wobbled on her paws as the tiredness came back suddenly.

“If it’s alright with you, Bluestar.” Rascal began, “I’ll go back to the Twoleg place, I can get there safely alone and really, I’m not sure I’d be much help getting Snowkit to Riverclan.” He admitted.

Bluestar looked at him and then nodded after a pause, “Very well,” she said, “Thank you for bringing her to the forest.”

Rascal bowed his head and turned, flicking his tail in good bye to Snowkit. “Maybe I’ll see you around, Snowkit, you know if you ever end up lost again.” he meowed before heading off.

Snowkit flicked her tail back at Rascal, “Thank you for helping me get unlost.” She mewed and smiled a little a happy meow coming past her lips.

Bluestar smiled and led Snowkit into the forest a short ways before realizing Snowkit was blinking away sleep form her eyes and yawning, she smiled and bent her head down, lifting her up by the scruff. 

“I’m sorry.” Snowkit meowed quietly.

“No need to apologize, you’re only young and shouldn’t have to travel so far. You need to rest and I have no desire to see a young kit fall asleep on their paws.” Bluestar purred softly as she carried the tiny kit into camp. “You will stay in the Medicine Den with Spottedleaf and in the morning we will talk.” She added.

Spottedleaf smiled kindly and moved to let Bluestar place the white kit down into the newly made bed of moss. “Thank you, Bluestar.” Snowkit meowed with a big yawn and soon, curled up in the moss and close to a she-cat who felt warm and gave off an aura of love and kindness, she was asleep.

~~~

When the morning came, Snowkit woke with the sun rise and stretched herself out, pausing when she realized there was a long, soft fluffy tail wrapped around he and a strong smell of plants.

“Good Morning,” A kind voice purred and Snowkit blinked, looking up at Spottedleaf as the calico cat looked down at her from her work, carefully making neat piles of leaves and berries. “I hope you slept well, little one?”

“I did, thank you.” Snowkit answered, remembering to be polite as she sat up and quickly tried to smooth her fur down so she looked at least somewhat more presentable. “I wasn’t in the way was I? I’m sorry if I was. I didn’t mean to fall asleep.”

“You weren’t in the way my dear,” Spottedleaf purred and gently began to groom the little kit, “Are you hungry?” She asked.

“A little,” Snowkit meowed, “But I thought Clan cats didn’t share food with each other?” she added.

“You are a kit under the age of six moons,” Bluestar’s voice stated as the Thunderclan leader came into the den and carefully laid down a plump squirrel, the plumpest Snowkit had ever seen. “It would be a dishonour to Thunderclan for us not to give you food and shelter until you are ready to travel to Riverclan.” She added.

“Are you sure it’s ok?” Snowkit asked and Bluestar smiled kindly nodding her head. “Thank you.” She meowed and began to eat, not seeing the two shecats share a glance, or the nod that the two shared.

 

After Snowkit had eaten her fill, almost half the squirrel gone, the bones picked clean, Bluestar watched Snowkit take a moment to clean her bloody muzzle whiskers, and fir the first time, the Thunderclan leader had a chance to properly study the white kit before her.

Four moons old, Spottedleaf had said, not much older than that, and yet the white kit looked to be the same size as a two moon old kit, likely the fault of the Twolegs who had taken her from the forest and from her mother’s belly.

The kit was also unfamiliar with the Clan traditions and code, again, likely because her mother had not had time to teach her the code, or even that as a kit under six moons, Snowkit was not expected to follow the rules that commanded the Apprentices and Warriors.

Catching sight of the collar, Bluestar twisted her ear in thought. “Have you tried to remove it yourself?” She asked, pointing her tail at the collar.

“My teeth aren’t sharp enough to cut it.” Snowkit meowed then looked at Bluestar. “Do you know how to get them off?”

“I don’t.” Bluestar shook her head, “but I’m sure an adult cat’s teeth could cut through it. Whitestorm.”

Snowkit blinked as a white tom cat came into the den, bright friendly yellow eyes blinking in greeting to Bluestar and Spottedleaf before looking down at Snowkit with a kind smile on his muzzle.

“This is Whitestorm, a senior warrior of Thunderclan. He and Spottedleaf will be taking you to the border with Riverclan today but first we need to get that Collar off you.” Bluestar explained and then moved back to let Whitestorm get a closer look.

“Let me see,” Whitestorm meowed and bent to inspect the collar, then nodded, “Bend your head as low as you can little one, this isn’t going to take long.” He assured softly.

Snowkit bent her head down and kept still as she felt Whitestorm tug at the collar a little and then heard the tell-tale sound of teeth chewing the collar before the thing came lose and fell from her neck to the floor of the den.

“Thank you.” Snowkit purred and gave herself a shake to fluff her fur up now the collar was gone.

~~~

Spottedleaf smiled kindly as Snowkit jumped over a twig in her way and then paused to sniff and small bluebell flower, her young eyes wide with wonder and awe as she chased a small ladybird bug from the bluebell to a large daffodil flower and rose onto her hind legs trying to sniff the taller flower.

Such innocent and curiousness was nice to see in such calm times. Especially from a kit who was returning to her true home after such a terrible start to life, born in a strange place away from her natural family.

Whitestorm paused just ahead of them and perked his ears, his mouth open slightly, scenting the air and his tail twitching. "Lionheart and Greykit have been this way.” He purred, “That little mite is going to be a pawful when he is an apprentice.” He added.

“Is that a bad thing?” Snowkit asked.

“No, Greykit is just trying to be a warrior before he is ready.” Whitestorm chuckled, “Come, the stepping stones are this way.” 

Snowkit purred and hurried after him and Spottedleaf as they reached the river edge, looking at the water she could see a few quick darts of movements of fish but not daring to come close to them. “The water looks like it’s going fast..."

Spottedleaf looked down at the river. "It is flowing pretty fast, but the current's not that strong and it won’t be for a while unless we get a good rain in the near future, we shouldn't have to worry." She assured with gently nudge to Snowkit’s side.

"So I wouldn't get dragged under the water if I fell in?" Snowkit asked, following Whitestorm towards where there were some stones in the water making a kind of bridge.

Whitestorm smiled kindly. "Well, as of yet you're all skin and bones," he pointed out, "So even if it was a really strong current, you'd probably float on top, but this far upriver we shouldn't have to worry about falling in.” he assured, “And if you are accepted into Riverclan, you'll need to get used to swimming and I hope you like the taste of fish. They eat a lot of it."

"I didn’t mind the idea of swimming, but I never really had anywhere to try and learn in the twoleg place.” Snowkit explained, jumping another twig. “Do you think they will accept me?” she asked.

Spottedleaf smiled, “I’m sure they will, Crookedstar may seem a little cruel at times, but he will never turn his back on a kit in need, not just because that is what our code stated, but also because he has a big heart.”

Snowkit listened a felt better hearing that the leader of Riverclan wild accept her, she then noticed the stepping stones were practically bathed in the moss ahead of them. "How do we get across?"

Spottedleaf's ears twitched when she saw how wet the stepping stones were, clearly no cats had come through this way in quite a while, but hearing Snowkit's question she smiled kindly, “I’ll go across first to show you how it’s done then you can follow me, Whitestorm will be behind you so you don’t have to worry about anything,” She explained and then leaped out onto the first stone and then the second, keeping an even pace so Snowkit could follow close behind.

"Ok...” Snowkit unsheathed her claws, they were small but they could at least get a good grip through the soggy moss. She took a few steps back then jumped to the first stone, her hind legs slipped a little but she managed to right herself.

Spottedleaf smiled. "That's it," she meowed, "Just one step at a time. They get closer together and easier to cross as we get closer to the other side." She said and leaped across another gap, and another, always careful to keep her pace slow and her claws digging into the hard surface of the rock. 

Snowkit followed, her claws weren't gripping the moss so well, but she was able to stay out of the water for the most part, her hind legs slipping into the water again, but she was able to stay on the rocks, however her claws didn't quite grip the moss enough on one of the stones and she ended up slipping and landing on her underbelly on the same stone an all four paws splashing the water and with her tail. "Oof!" A few seconds later she stumped to her paws and ended up with a repeat performance. "Ow..." 

It seemed she was somewhat stuck on the slippery moss.

Whitestorm couldn't help but emit a chuckling mew as he bent down and picked Snowkit up from the stone and carried her the rest of the way across, smiling softly as he placed her down. “You did well to get so far by yourself.” He began to praise then stopped, perking his ears as the wind shifted, carrying a familiar scent to his nose. "Riverclan cats.”

"Stay close." Spottedleaf said and Snowkit nodded, moving closer to Whitestorm, curing her tail in slightly. She hoped they were just a little nicer then Longtail had been the night before. 

 

As before, there were two cats approaching, the first of the two was a huge tabby tom with striking green eyes, the most noticeable thing about him however was his lower jaw which sat just slightly off to the left from his upper jaw, giving his face a crooked appearance. The second cat was slightly smaller than his counterpart with tawny-coloured fur, but with very similar green eyes. 

"Why are you on Riverclan’s side of the river?” The larger one questioned, his voice firm with authority, but a neutral politeness towards Spottedleaf.

“We have come to bring a Kit to her birth clan.” Spottedleaf said and lifted her tail to point at Snowkit as Whitestorm gently nudged her forwards. “This is Snowkit. She's of Clan descent, kidnapped in the raids some moons ago.” The Thunderclan Medicine Cat went on and then stopped as Crookedstar looked at the kit.

“How old are you little one?” the crooked jawed cat asked.

“F-Four moons.” Snowkit answered.

He seemed doubtful, but said nothing as he lowered his head, sniffing at Snowkit carefully. She didn’t smell like a clan cat, but she didn’t have the smell of a Queen he may have known from his clan or any other, there was the smell of prey from Thunderclan, but it was faint.

Suddenly there was a scent he knew, a scent of an old Queen who had been heavy with kits when the twolegs had taken her and his bright eyes flashed in recognition. “What did you say your name was?” he asked softly.

“Mama called me Snowkit.” Snowkit answered, “She said it was because snow of her favourite thing about leaf-bare.”

“Do you remember your mother’s name?” Crookedstar asked.

“Frozendew.” Snowkit said.

Oakheart nodded, “She was one of the Stolen Queens…” 

“Go back to camp and inform Riverbed, then gather the clan.” Crookedstar ordered softly, then looked at Snowkit. “We have a kit to welcome home.” He purred softly and nodded to Spottedleaf and Whitestorm, “Thank you for bringing her this far, but we can take it from here.”

“Of cause.” Spottedleaf smiled and with a kind wave of her tail in farewell to Snowkit, the two thunderclanners headed back across the steppingstones and headed back into Thunderclan territory.

 

It didn't take the cats long to reach Riverclan's camp. The group continued moving upriver until a small stream broke off the main body of water, just long enough to create an island surrounded by reeds. Crookedstar pushed through without a problem, barely soaking his legs, but unfortunately for Snowkit, the lack of good food and milk made her lighter than normal kits and thus, the water almost washed her away and likely would have, had Crookedstar not jumped back and caught her by the scruff and carried her to the safety of the bank. 

“Are you alright?” he asked.

“I’m ok,” Snowkit assured, though she was dripping wet from ears to tail. “Sorry.”

“You have no reason to be sorry, Starclan has guided you home Snowkit, I caught the scent of Frozendew on your fur back there and I can smell her now, she is with you and will always be with you.” Crookedstar explained with a kind smile on his muzzle.

“Crookedstar?” A deep voice meowed and Snowkit turned, watching a pale white tomcat push his way into the small clearing and then look at her.

The recognition was instant, a pull at her chest so powerful it couldn’t be wrong and Snowkit forgot Crookedstar was there as she ran up to her father, almost burying herself in his fur, purring happily as he bent to greet her, nuzzling her close and covering her in gentle licks.


End file.
